ELD requirements and technical specifications
- Technical standards for ELDs are wide-ranging and thorough. The most essential stipulations are outlined in a table of activities and corresponding requirements.
- ELD systems include a tethered component (“black box”) attached to a vehicle’s ECM to compile engine-use data.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) must meet the regulatory requirements in Appendix A to Subpart B of 49 CFR Part 395, Section 395.8, and Subpart B (395.20 to 395.38).
Device and systems
ELDs must meet the technical standards detailed in Appendix A. The use of the device and support system must meet the requirements in 395.8 and Subpart B (395.20 to 395.38). The appendix and regulations have extensive technical requirements. This table summarizes the key requirements:
| Activity | ELD requirement |
|---|---|
| Vehicle connection | Must use the electronic control module (ECM) on model year (MY) 2000 or newer vehicle normally connected to the J-bus or on-board diagnostics (OBD) connection or “other means” if a vehicle is older than MY 2000 and ECM is not accessible. Use by a driver operating a vehicle older than MY 2000 is not required, but it is optional. |
| Automatic data captures | Dataset (date, time, location, vehicle miles, engine hours, driver, carrier, vehicle) must be captured at driver logon and logoff, engine startup and shutdown, at every duty change, and once per hour when the vehicle is in operation. |
| Location entry | Must be automatically captured when required. Must be accurate to one mile in normal operations and to 10 miles during periods of personal use. Driver is prompted to enter manually if an automatic location cannot be captured. |
| Driver entries and use | Driver must be able to enter non-driving duty changes, location (only if prompted when automatic location capture fails), and edits/corrections. Drivers must also have access to all their records in the system. |
| Dealing with “special driving time” such as yard time and personal use | Carrier can allow driver to use “special driving categories” that are built into the ELD (yard movement and personal use). These place the driving onto the correct duty line when selected. |
| Verification that system is compliant | Vendor’s device must be on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) list of approved devices. |
| Driving decision | Vehicle reaches 5 miles per hour. This is the maximum allowed; the carrier can set the threshold lower. |
| Stopped decision | Vehicle must be fully stopped for three seconds and driver must be asked for a duty change if one is not entered within five minutes of being stopped. If an entry is not made, the device will place the driver on duty. |
| Display requirement | The display must include a record for the current day and each of the previous seven days that includes: A header containing the record’s date, carrier name and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number, driver ID (user ID, name, and license number), ELD ID, trailer number (if applicable), carrier’s time zone, co-driver ID, shipment document number or information, any data errors or malfunctions, vehicle number and vehicle identification number (VIN), unidentified driver driving time, engine hours and vehicle miles, and current location; A grid-graph; and A list of details for all data captures that includes the time, location, vehicle mileage, engine hours, and duty status change (or event that triggered the capture if it was not a duty change). |
| Use and mounting while driving | System must not allow driver input while driving. Portable display must be mounted within view of the driver when seated in driver’s seat. |
| Supplying records to officers on the road | Driver must be able to provide the officer with electronic records using one of two communications options, telemetric (web service or email) or local (Bluetooth and USB 2.0). The device must be able to use both methods within the communications option the device uses. |
| Resistance to driver tampering | Must not permit alteration or erasure of original information or alteration of the source data streams. ELD must support “data integrity check” functions. |
| Indicator of sensor or device failures | ELD must have the capability to monitor its compliance (engine connectivity, timing, positioning, etc.) for malfunctions and data inconsistencies. ELD must record these occurrences. |
| Driver and support personnel edits | Driver and supervisors are allowed to make edits, but the driver must review and approve all edits made by supervisors. Changes by supervisors cannot be brought into the official record until approved by the driver. System must retain original record and all changes. |
| Communication of data and records to back office | No detailed requirement. Driver must submit record within 13 days, and back office must retain records (and backup copy) once provided by the driver for six months. |
| Handling of unassigned driving | Records must be retained, and all unassigned driving must be assigned or explained. |
Connection to the vehicle
Unlike logging software that may run on a standalone laptop, smartphone, or tablet, an ELD system has a tethered component, meaning a device — sometimes called a “black box” — attached to the vehicle’s ECM to automatically gather engine-use data. The overall system may include a smartphone or tablet that receives data from the black box, displays it for enforcement (via digital display or printout), and forwards it to the motor carrier for auditing and storage.
Data automatically recorded
Data recording — ELDs must automatically record the:
- Date,
- Time,
- Geographic location (accurate to a one-mile radius),
- Engine hours,
- Vehicle miles,
- Driver or user ID,
- Vehicle ID, and
- Motor carrier ID.
This required data must be recorded:
- At power-up and shutdown,
- At every change in duty status,
- At least every hour while the vehicle is moving,
- Whenever a driver logs in or out, and
- When the ELD detects or clears a malfunction or diagnostic event.
Some vehicle-related data points can be missing if the capture was required when the vehicle’s engine was not running. An example of this would be a driver doing a duty change between off-duty and on-duty when away from the vehicle or when the engine is off.