It’s been just over two years since the FMCSA’s (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) ELD mandate went into effect in December of 2017. The mandate applies to the vast majority of commercial vehicles on the road, and the driving force behind it is improving road safety and minimizing road accidents by reducing driver fatigue.

Unlike paper logs, where it was possible for drivers to manipulate hours of service (HOS) numbers, ELDs are tamper resistant and don’t allow original data collected by the device to be erased or altered. They digitally track driving time and monitor compliance with the rest-break rule — mandatory rest break after 8 hours of driving — and the restriction that allows drivers behind the wheel for 11 of 14 hours before taking a 10-hour break.

The Electronic Logging Device Mandate, which is more commonly referred to as the ELD Mandate, is a federal rule published December 2015 by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). 

Implemented in three phases, with Phase 2 going into effect in less than a month on December 18, the rule applies to most motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to maintain records of duty status (RODS). The rule’s intention is to help create a safer work environment for drivers and to make tracking, managing and sharing RODS faster and easier.