Overdrive

April 2018 | Overdrive | 45 E ntertainment-niche team owner-operators Nick and Kim Holley had some use of electronic logging devices in their past when their current leasing car- rier dropped Omnitracs' XRS ELD setup on them late last year in advance of the ELD mandate's Dec. 18 deadline. Their XRS unit is of the BYOD ("bring your own device") type, paired with a dedi- cated tablet that is the user interface. The device is normally "pretty flaw- less," Kim says, "but set up as a team, there is a plethora of problems." In her 42 years of marriage to her husband, "I've never heard him swear, but since we put this system in, I can't tell you how many times I've heard him." Nick Holley, no doubt, is far from alone in frustration over misbehaving ELDs. Though plenty of new ELD users report no significant issues, others have experienced problems running the gamut from software glitches to dropped Bluetooth connections in other BYOD- type systems to unresponsive customer service departments. KeepTruckin experienced a service outage on day one of the mandate that made news, along with a brief problem with Omnitracs users' access to its back- office portal to logs data. The surge of new users of both platforms appears to have played a role. J.J. Keller's Encompass ELD users were granted a temporary mandate exemption through the end of February by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration after the company requested it. The issue at hand was a flaw in wireless data-transfer functional- ity at roadside that rendered that aspect of their ELDs unworkable. J.J. Keller reported in February that the problem had been resolved. An unnamed reader tipped Overdrive to a server issue that impacted functional- ity for some Teletrac Navman users and resulted in two units being replaced. The reader noted unresponsive in-cab units in his 14-truck fleet, no recorded mile- age from several units for the better part of a week and more. The server problems were resolved in about a week, Teletrac Navman spokes- person Stephanie Kacoyanis said. In the wake of some of these and simi- lar issues, FMCSA updated its Frequently Asked Questions at its ELD website that appeared to be a tacit acknowledgement that some ELD software just wasn't up to snuff. FMCSA previously had said prior- generation automatic onboard recording THE SHIFT THE SHIFT EQUIPMENT ELD headaches Much has been made about the operational challenges of running under more rigid hours with an electronic log. Now, three months into the mandate, some truckers new to e-logs are experiencing technical malfunctions that jeopardize compliance. BY TODD DILLS Nick and Kim Holley have experienced no small amount of frustration with the quirks of their leasing fleet's custom ELD solution.

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• FLIPPING THROUGH HISTORY | A small fleet owner’s collection of Overdrives provides a fitting finale for Wendy Parker’s last blog post.
• Business: Arbitration case to go before high court The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit brought by an owner-operator that challenges his fleet’s requirement that disputes be handled via third-party arbitration.
• COVER STORY: Power plays Electric truck makers promise cleaner, more cost-effective tractors. Two years before the first vehicles hit the road, inadequate infrastructure and fueling capacity threaten to dampen the transition.
• Buyers welcome Economic conditions, tax changes, productivity pressures and equipment improvements have spurred a big increase in truck buying by owner-operators and fleets.
• ELD headaches Much has been made about the operational challenges of running under more rigid hours accounting with an electronic log. Meanwhile, truckers are experiencing a wide range of technical malfunctions.
• Severe service Heavy-haul and severe-service news from Volvo, International, Mack, Freightliner and Peterbilt, plus new products from Marmon-Herrington, Kyocera, Firestone and Toyo.
• Inspectors “putting people out of work.”
• Pulse: Make sure the grass really is greener.
• Conversations still evolving over 14-hour reg.
• Shut down by CARB, teacher keeps learning alive.
• Discovering a double- brokered load.
• ELD violations now merit out-of-service.
• Bill would allow younger truckers.
• ELD waiver extended for livestockers.
• Alleged fraud may impact 2,000 truckers.
• OOIDA wants rehearing of apnea case.
• Son earns back dad’s ’95 Pete 379.
• “Rubber Duck” Mack still quacking.
• Reader Rigs: ’16 389 on the “Edge”; a ’13 Coronado named “Betty”; ’15 389 yanks tanks; ’17 Coronado a heavy hauler; father-son duo’s ’04 W900.
• Gear Guide Hino to debut Class 7, 8 models in 2019.
• FLEET NEWS Fleets continue to hike driver pay.
• BETTER HEALTH Preventing and dealing with nausea.