Whether you’re a driver or a dispatcher in the industry, these days the buzz in trucking is focused on ELDs (Electronic Logging Devices) or the “ELOGs” as most drivers refer to them.

The due date for U.S. and Canadian drivers to be compliant to using them is fast approaching: December 18, 2017. On this day, U.S. and Canadian companies will need to be compliant with U.S. DOT regulations regarding ELDs. The U.S. has been on a long road to achieving standardized regulations for ELDs. In fact, even with all the attempts many groups have made to overthrow the court’s decision, the mandate still stands in the U.S. court system and the December date of compliance will remain firm. Canada is also working on an ELD mandate to coincide with the U.S. mandate as well.

 

With all this buzz about ELOGs, how will they affect drivers or their dispatcher?
What can you expect as a driver?
What are the benefits for you as a driver or a dispatcher?

 

Often, implementing new technologies or processes come with some uneasiness at the unknown. But as we embrace the learning curve and adapt to the new and improved methods, the benefits become apparent.

The initial thought a lot of drivers have upon trying ELDs or ELOGs are: “What have I gotten myself into!” The operation of ELOGs may look foreign at first, but are generally simple.

An ELOG is an electronic representation of a paper log. Anything that can be done on a paper log can be done on an ELOG. ELOGs have been programmed to understand DOT and MOT Hours of Service Regulations (and HERE are the American HOS Regulations) and they do a very good job at it. So good of a job, in fact, that we tell drivers they need to have a basic understanding of the Hours of Service Rules. Otherwise, they may not understand what the ELOG is telling them. Having said that, the ELOG protects a driver from his or her own blunders. In a way, it makes a driver learn and follow the Hours of Service rules. As a driver, once you give ELOGs some patience in adapting to them, they will soon make your job easier.

Our drivers have found the ELOGs quite useful and efficient. For instance, drivers will normally have areas at the top of a paper log page to fill in (such as their name, truck number, plate number, date, trip start and end odometer numbers) and these areas are sometimes overlooked by drivers (especially if they are tired). With ELOGs, all these areas are automatically entered into the system, saving the driver the embarrassment and possibility of a fine at the MOT/DOT scales with an officer. In general, there is usually less scrutiny by officers when a driver is using ELOGs. The ELOG warns a driver ahead of time of potential violations. Plus, a countdown clock in the upper right corner of the driver’s ELOG system shows the driver what time he or she has left to drive.

The ELOG speeds up the driver’s day: much of the operation of an ELD is automated and the system will automatically switch between “Driving” and “On Duty-Not Driving” statuses allowing the driver to get moving quicker. It will not tell a driver when to take a break, go to bed, or what trailer he or she is hooked to.

Overall, there is a sense of relief in the back of your mind as a driver. Drivers need to worry less about being compliant with regulations, as ELOGs will help them do so.  The ELOG reminds drivers all the time. That takes a load of stress off drivers, which, with the other stresses drivers must face every day, is a huge relief!

From an operational standpoint, dispatchers can readily access a driver’s ELOG or ELD record via the web. This gives the dispatcher a real-time view of the driver’s available hours. Dispatchers can also visually see patterns on how a driver likes to run just with a glance of the screen.

From a training standpoint, viewing the driver’s hours on the website makes it easy for a Safety Department and Training Staff to help in a predicament where the driver is unsure of something, or how to proceed in a certain situation. As a trainer myself, I can spot a driver’s issue at a glance and remedy the situation quickly. This can be done remotely and makes it a lot easier to help compared to a paper log.

I know myself and others have happily embraced ELDs. They do genuinely make people’s jobs easier if used properly. I find it very gratifying to help a driver realize how easy it is to incorporate the ELD or ELOG into their daily routine. In an industry where things are moving quickly, anything that gives an advantage as a driver is a great thing.

If you’re a Challenger driver, and you have any questions concerning ELDs or ELOGs, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Training Department, where we will be happy to help you with the learning curve.

Glen Blacklock
Training Coordinator