What is an ELD in a truck?
When you work in the trucking industry, you will hear a lot of abbreviations. The FMCSA stands for the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration. DOT stands for the Department of Transportation. A CCF is used for drug testing, and an ELD is to keep track of your driver’s Hours of Service and much, much more.
What Does ELD Stand For?
ELD stands for Electronic Logging Device. It is a handheld device that records a driver’s hours on and off the road.
According to Simplex Group, the ELD plugs right into the truck’s diagnostic port. When a driver starts moving, the ELD will record every mile and hour that they have driven. This way, you will never have to worry about a driver going over 11 consecutive hours of driving. This is very important because the FMCSA mandates that a driver cannot be on the road longer than this amount of time.
In addition to recording the time the truck is moving, a driver can use the ELD to record their driving hours. They can record the time it takes to do inspections, fill the tank with gas, and load and unload the truck. They can also use the device to record lunches and break times.
Are ELDs Required?
The FMCSA mandates that all trucking companies use an ELD to record drivers’ on-the-road time. This mandate was put in place for safety reasons. Studies by the FMCSA have shown that the devices greatly reduce the chances of a driver having an accident. The ELD has a user manual that the driver must carry at all times. In some cases, the user’s manual will be on the device itself.
Other Uses For ELDs
The best ELDs can tell you how fast the truck is moving and even how quickly the driver typically hits the brakes. It can tell you how many miles the driver has traveled and if they have gone off course. If you use all of the features on this device, you will actually end up saving money.
Drivers must conduct an inspection on their vehicle before they start driving and when they are done for the day. They must follow a checklist and can record the results of the inspection on the ELD. If any repairs are needed, the mechanic can report what they did to rectify the problem using the ELD.
An ELD can actually track the amount of fuel the truck is using. Even though trucks are inspected regularly, sometimes the vehicle will have a problem that escapes the attention of the driver doing the inspection. If a truck has a leak or another problem causing it to use too much gas, your ELD will let you know.
Before you buy your ELDs, You should know that they’re not all created equally. It is a good idea to shop around for the very best deal you can get before buying this useful device.
