Opinion: All the Doors That ELDs Could Open

By Michael Scott

Software Engineer

Webtech Wireless

Whatever your thoughts on the need for electronic logging devices, they already are an integral part of the trucking industry’s future.

There’s just too much pressure from safety experts, legislators and the public, concerned that the driver of an 18-wheeler next to them will be fatigued.

On the regulatory side, a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposal, released in March, would mandate the use of ELDs for recording drivers’ hours of service. Although the comment period ended June 26 and the rulemaking process is bogged down because “additional coordination is necessary,” according to FMCSA, it appears to be only a matter of time before the use of ELDs becomes mandatory for the trucking industry.

For a look into the evolution of ELDs, consider the past for mobile phones. The earliest phones were just that — phones. They would carry a conversation, and that’s it. Compare that with today’s smart phone — a route finder, a Web browser, an e-mail device, music store, camera and much more. All it took was for manufacturers such as Motorola to get people comfortable with carrying a device, and features blossomed from there.

Will it be like that for ELDs? Quite possibly.

While the regulatory aspect of ELDs focuses on one task — tamper-proof recording of drivers’ hours — already we see additional functionality. Like a mobile phone, once drivers are comfortable with a device in every CMV — the door swings wide open for a range of benefits.

Here are some of the trends we see:

• Still Room for Simple Devices

In the case of mobile phones, there’s still a market for no-frills models that cost little to own or operate. We can expect a similar development in ELDs — largely for independent owner-operators, who see ELDs as extra cost with few benefits. So, there will be demand for bare-bones ELDs that allow the driver to comply with the law, and that’s it. Regulators are aware of this and are being careful about what features they specify as mandatory.

One difficulty is that owner-operators will need to install the ELDs themselves, so as not to incur excessive downtime and installation costs. Making a device that is easy to install and meets tamper-proof requirements may prove difficult in practice.

• Logging More Than Drive Time

The main focus of ELD proponents has been on tamper-proof logging of driving time. But drivers still must manually log records of their off-duty, on-duty and sleeper-berth time. It does not seem impossible for ELDs to detect the presence of a driver in a sleeper berth, with a combination of heat- and motion-sensing devices. It’s one less activity a driver needs to record that comes with an increase in log accuracy, responding to public concerns about safety.

• Hands-Free Emergency Calls

The need to keep hands on the wheel, and concentrate on driving, has limited phone conversations for drivers. One exception is an emergency. While in most cases the driver would take the precaution of pulling over to the side of the road before dialing 911, a hijack attempt is one exception. ELDs can support safe triggering of an emergency call while the driver maintains focus on driving out of the ambush — possibly saving life and property.

• Truck-Friendly Routing

Many truck drivers buy consumer-level GPS devices, and they serve them well — until they get their truck wedged under a low overpass because the device was intended to route cars, not large transport vehicles. Truck-specific routing, including height restrictions, locations of load-limited or narrow bridges and hazmat routes, likely will become popular features with the ELD.

•  Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports

Electronic recording of DVIR data helps improve the completeness of the reports and reduces paperwork. Also, it reduces maintenance turnaround times. For example, if a trailer is found to need a replacement taillight, that information can be relayed wirelessly to the maintenance yard so that the part will be ready for installation when the truck arrives.

• Expedited Roadside Inspections

As ELDs become prevalent, safety inspectors also will be using technology to process the data. It will be possible for an ELD-equipped CMV to automatically transmit driver log data wirelessly to the inspection facility just up the road. By the time the driver reaches the facility, his logs have been reviewed, and delays are reduced. Drivers cringe at the thought, but the time savings for compliant drivers cannot be ignored.

•  Fatigue, Lane Departure and Proximity Detection

What seemed space age only a few years ago now is almost a possibility. Facial recognition is advancing rapidly and could be applied in ELDs to monitor a driver for evidence of fatigue. Technology already exists to detect vehicle lane changes. CMV manufacturers are including radar-like detection for following too closely. These features could start appearing with ELDs to warn drivers and prevent that dreadful collision with a passenger vehicle.

These and other benefits may help boost the trucking industry’s interest in what new, enhanced ELDs can do for safety and efficiency.

Webtech Wireless, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a provider of fleet-management and tracking telematics.