5 Tips for Preventing ELD Violations

The ELD mandate is a regulation requiring that all commercial motor vehicle operators qualifying for this law use electronic logging devices. These devices are meant to record vehicle operation and driver activity data. The driver details mainly regard Hours of Service, a permanent driving hours record, on-duty hours, and rest time during a trip.

ELD violations lead to hefty fines, more roadside inspections, and penalties or fines targeting drivers and carriers. ELD mandate non-compliance leads to ELD violations, including false log, wrong log, EOBR related violations, other log or form, and manner. Here are tips to prevent ELD violations.

1. Pick the right ELD solution

The FMCSA requires the carrier to choose a compliant ELD solution. It's not enough for an ELD solution to be on the FMCSA self-certified ELD list, as not all the approved vendors may be suitable. This means that being self-certified doesn't always mean compliance. To find a solution that helps you remain compliant, read current and past customer reviews, search for several ELD connectivity methods, and ensure that the solution is easy for drivers to operate. You may also consider solutions that provide ELD tracking features for real-time monitoring of vehicle location and assets.

2. Rely on PSP reports when hiring

The PSP (pre-employment screening program) reports offer insights into the accident and violation information from a potential candidate's driving history. Although these reports don't provide the whole story, they can help you make informed decisions. For instance, a majority of ELD violations are based on a driver's constant meticulousness, like preserving paper logs supply and creating log annotations.

Choosing drivers without extensive ELD or HOS violation histories means they’re more likely to stay compliant. You can also use this information to identify the drivers that need extra ELD and Hours of Service training.

3. Offer ongoing driver training

Your drivers should understand violations, their effect on CSA scores, and how they can avoid these violations. There are many violations you can prevent with simple instructions and proper driver training. While some of the ELD violations may carry one out of ten weight severity, they can accumulate fast and have a great impact on your CSA score.

When training the drivers, focus on the supporting documents they should always possess, additional materials that should be in the cab, what to do if the ELD malfunctions, how to load data properly, and how and when to utilize the special driving categories.

4. Conduct driver log audits regularly

Thorough HOS driver log audits make it easy to sort the drivers with manner errors and HOS violations. Upon identifying the concerned drivers, contact and train them on what can be done differently in the future. After the training, you can set up alerts to be notified whenever such errors and violations occur.

5. Oppose incorrect ELD violations

At times, you may get incomplete or incorrect ELD violations. When that happens, you can use the DataQ process to raise your concerns and possibly remove the incomplete or wrong violation. This can help you protect your well-deserved CSA score.

Endnote

Violating the ELD mandate impacts road safety and results in harsh non-compliance penalties. Consider using these tips to prevent ELD violations.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes