Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/949884
38 commercial carrier journal | march 2018 technology Policing ELD data Third-party services simplify, enhance log management BY AARON HUFF T o comply with the electronic logging device mandate, some fleets use ELDs from multiple providers. The differences in systems may help meet the needs of fleets that use both company drivers and owner-operators. In other cases, some fleets may use one ELD system for their long-distance operations and another system – or even paper logs and timesheets – for their local drivers. While using multiple ELD systems can be helpful, it may complicate the process of managing all of the information. One option for managing the influx of data and records from multiple ELD systems – or even a single system – is hiring a third-party compliance service. Using a combination of technology, subject-matter experts and established processes, third-party services can provide fleets with a more efficient compliance workflow by captur- ing hours-of-service data from different sources, auditing it for accuracy against supporting documents and identifying exceptions. Fleets use J.J. Keller & Associates' DataSense service to consolidate HOS data from multiple ELD systems, paper logs and timesheets. "We are seeing lot of different combinations of data sources," said Shaun Gunderson, J.J. Keller's vice president of managed services. DataSense includes the Client Information Center, a web portal that gives J.J. Keller clients a holistic view of compliance through reports that consolidate visibility of HOS violations by driver, location and other areas of interest. For clients that choose to implement ELDs from J.J. Keller, the company provides an add-on service, Driver DataSense Plus, that helps fleets convert to its system. Auditing hours Several managed service providers have developed technol- ogies that audit HOS data by using a variety of supporting documents. Fleetworthy Solutions has a managed HOS compliance service that consumes ELD data automatically and identifies falsification violations, such as when drivers log off-duty while performing nondriving work-related functions such as fueling and trailer hookups. The company's technology platform compares logbook data with fuel-purchase information, roadside inspections, GPS records and other supporting documents to find exceptions. Fleetworthy's service mirrors the process used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct onsite audits. Clients have visibility to exceptions through a compliance dashboard in a customer-facing web portal. Fleetworthy also can send corrections found by the audit and approved by the client directly to the driver through the fleet's ELD system. The drivers then can accept the edits for an automated compliance process, said Michael Precia, Fleetwor- thy's senior vice president of sales and account management. Beyond compliance Now that most fleets have implemented ELDs, compliance service providers see an opportunity to help their clients do more with their HOS data. Lee Trans' Driver Log Auditing System audits ELD data for accuracy by interfacing with fleet systems that use supporting documents, such as fuel purchasing, payroll and roadside inspection monitoring. Through Lee Trans' customer-facing web portal, fleets can access information on compliance and run reports. Clients can use the portal to send counseling letters to drivers that explain their violations. Jackie Polk, executive vice president of Lee Trans, said some clients use the portal's reports to monitor avail- able drive time. The company also is exploring ways to expand its information services to provide clients with Compliance Safety Accountability and driver safety data to help them manage risk. ELDs have "really opened up a path to get data that didn't exist before," Polk said. "We are working with clients to identify what they believe will be most useful." in focus: OUTSOURCING COMPLIANCE Fleetworthy Solutions' customer-facing Comply web portal has a se- ries of displays and reporting functions that show fleets where they stand on HOS, driver applications and other compliance metrics.