Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
December 26, 2014
Author: Steven Digmann, Sales Executive
We find all too often the trucking industry loves acronyms and here we are again with another one. So what are Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) and what effect do they have on our industry?
Simply put, ELDs are electronic devices that are capable of recording a driver’s driving hours and duty status automatically, therefore eliminating paper logs. On March 28, 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed a study to better understand ELDs and the safety benefits they provide. The study was based on 12 carriers; representing a total of 253,227 truck-years; 180,023 crashes; and 1,889 Hours of Service (HOS) violations. The results of the study were right on queue with the FMCSA’s intentions of implementing mandatory ELDs.
ELDs improve HOS issues by eliminating the ability of drivers in the industry to cut corners and pretend like they are living in the “Wild West” days. According to the study, “truck drivers who were running on Electronic Logging Devices had a significantly lower total crash rate (11.7 percent reduction) and a significantly lower preventable crash rate (5.1 percent reduction) than trucks not equipped with Electronic Hours of Service Recorders (EHSR).”
The study also goes on to note, “EHSR-equipped trucks had a 53 percent lower driving related HOS violation rate and a 49 percent lower non-driving related HOS violation rate than trucks not equipped with EHSRs.” The study even went on to show a distinct case of one carrier’s crash rates dropping from 63 percent to 31 percent.
So what does all of this mean? This is only the first study done by the FMCSA, but it shows there is proof Electronic Logging Devices work for the intentions in which they were created.
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