Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/963441
46 | Overdrive | April 2018 ELD HEADACHES device (AOBRD) e-logs were off-limits to carriers not using them prior to Dec. 18, 2017. Now it says that AOBRD software running on newly adopted ELD-capable hardware is admissable through Dec. 16, 2019, at least for fleets that put AOBRDs in use before the 2017 mandate deadline. On March 19, an email went out to ELD makers warning them that state field inspectors were "encountering some devices that are malfunctioning or not compliant with the ELD rule. These devices are being reported to FMCSA for investigation, which starts FMCSA's formal process for notifying vendors. This process could result in the removal of a device from FMCSA's list of regis- tered, self-certified devices if the report- ed issues are not satisfactorily resolved." While FMCSA did not respond in time for this report to questions from Overdrive about the depth and breadth of the agency's device investigations, it's clear at least they're aware of some of the issues truckers are experiencing. Among team-related problems expe- rienced by the Holleys was an apparent inability to switch drivers in their system when the current driver is logged off- duty. It was an annoyance when the team stopped, say, to eat together, then make a driver change. But more importantly, the Holleys say, is a glitch that stems from the system's design. If you go off-duty and turn over control of the vehicle to another driver, Nick says, "and you're off-duty for more than two hours as the truck is running down the road, the system automatically puts you back on-duty," driving. Safety personnel at the company refer- enced guidance that limits time "off-duty in the jump seat" to two hours as expla- nation. The automatic switch to the drive line is the system's way of attempting to automatically account for that regulatory limitation as the vehicle moves, says Tom Cuthbertson, Omnitracs' vice president of regulatory compliance. It's clearly a major annoyance for teams, and one that Omnitracs customer SOLVING THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION ISSUE Based on Overdrive polling, drivers' most common problem with ELDs is dropped connections between a BYOD ("bring your own device," typically a phone or tablet) and the device's ECM plugin portion. Given wide pre-mandate use of smartphone-based logging programs by owner-operators, many have migrated to ELDs with BYOD systems that often connect an ECM plug-in device to the user interface on a phone or tablet program via Bluetooth, but occasionally the connection could be made through the cloud via a cel- lular connection or locally over Wi-Fi. A year ago, Overdrive reported on the experience of small fleet DC Transport's owner-operators during their beginning run with the J.J. Keller Encompass system ELD, where dropped Bluetooth connections were an issue from time to time. In some systems, dropped connections can cause unassigned-driving events to mount for system operators responsible for reconciling multiple driver accounts, not to mention presenting issues of log currency for drivers during roadside inspections. Katie Cullen, who oversees the ELD transition at Chicago-area DC Transport, wrote in later with her dropped-connection solution: Dedicating tablets to each owner- operator's truck for logging. Previously, drivers had been using their phones exclusively to log, keep- ing paper log backups as the company worked into the system. Cullen now attributes the dropped-connection issue to use of the phones, she says. Drops occurred when drivers "were making phone calls or running other apps at the same time, such as playing music via Bluetooth." Today, she says, "We have switched all our drivers over to dedicated tablets." Without interfering applications in use, "we have had no Bluetooth connectivity issues." Another solution to dropped local connections is to run a device wired to the ECM directly. The KeepTruckin BYOD ELD provider last year introduced a USB-connection alternative to its otherwise Bluetooth-paired system. The USB option, the company says, allows for speedier data transfer and a hardwired solution that also delivers continuous battery charging to the phone/tablet in the ELD pair. The most prevalent issues owner-operators are experiencing with ELDs Breaks in wireless connection between handheld/ECM plugin 23% Device not working as advertised 14% ECM plug-in caused engine/ electrical/fault-code reporting 13% GPS tracking inaccurate or doesn't meet rule's specs 13% Difficulty managing data through vendor portal/software 8% Customer service delays for minor issues 7% Customer service delays for major malfunctions 7% Difficulty setting up ELD to use 5% Other 11% Among haulers experiencing ELD equipment issues, no single problem was clearly dominant in an OverdriveOnline.com survey. Search "biggest issue with ELD equipment" at the site to join the conversation.