Bulletproof compliance 9 December 2014 Posted in News

With each passing day the number of fleets and drivers using paper logbooks is dwindling. This group will eventually disappear after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issues a final rule to mandate the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs).

The FMCSA does not expect to release a final rule until Sept. 30, 2015. When the final rule is published enforcement of the mandate will begin two years later.

Many in the transportation industry used to think paper logbooks were superior to electronic logs, primarily due to the fact that drivers could use paper to mask over inefficiencies like being detained at docks and stuck in traffic. In short, drivers and dispatchers liked the “flexibility” of paper, shall we say.

“I’ve got a load with a 12-hour run. Can you make it by tomorrow?” a dispatcher would ask a driver. “Sure, no problem,” the driver said, knowing he could somehow make it work on paper.

The flexibility of paper logs effectively ended six years ago on Dec. 24, 2008, when the FMCSA declared that advanced technologies, including those that use the Global Positioning System for vehicle location, could be used as supporting documents to verify the accuracy of paper logs.

In today’s world, it’s difficult to imagine any truck not equipped with a tracking device or at least a cell phone connection between the office and driver. This and other supporting electronic documents like fuel and toll receipts have closed the lid on any remaining advantages of using paper logs.

With paper logs, violations will undoubtedly surface during roadside inspections and DOT audits. The most frequent violation — by a long shot — in the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program is “logbook form and manner.” ELDs eliminate the clerical errors that can put a motor carrier’s business at risk. Indeed, many fleet owners, executives and drivers view ELDs as essential for survival in today’s strict regulatory environment.

Neither paper logs nor ELDs have an inherent advantage of data privacy. Both are an open book during a roadside inspection or an audit. It is much easier for enforcement officers to find flaws in a paper log even if the driver is compliant with the hours-of-service rules, however.

By contrast, ELDs utilize graphical displays that give drivers real-time visibility of their duty status. The same information drivers see in the cab is available in a fleet’s back office. Management no longer needs to ask drivers — or beg as the case might be — how much time they have available. ELDs also give the office visibility to when not to contact drivers by giving them visibility to off-duty and sleeper berth status.

As more carriers continue to adopt ELDs, DOT inspectors and auditors are focusing their attention on those who continue to persist in using paper logs against all odds. Meanwhile, carriers and drivers that use ELDs enjoy a much more efficient inspection process. Officers can inspect driver logs without entering the cab. Eventually they will do it without having to stop the vehicle.

The FMCSA is developing technology that will assist roadside inspectors and safety investigators to detect HOS violations in a non-invasive manner. The inspection process will be as simple as the driver hitting a button to send a file from the truck to law enforcement.

The perception may still persist among some drivers and fleet owners that ELDs hinder their productivity by accurately capturing every detail of their workday. This perception is changing as the facts continue to support a different reality.
ELD applications, such as CarrierMate, offer drivers and fleets convenience, efficiency and bulletproof compliance. For this reason, those who already use the technology on a voluntary basis would never revert back to paper.