AOBRDs vs. ELDs – What You Need to Know to Stay ELD Compliant

July 23, 2019

The final deadline for fleets to transition commercial motor vehicles from older Automatic Onboard Recording Devices (AOBRDs), Electronic OnBoard Recorders (EOBRs) or eLogs to a fully compliant Electronic Logging Device (ELD) was December 16, 2019. Those who must adhere to the ELD mandate are: all interstate truck drivers who are currently required to fill out a record of duty status (RODS) or driver log book. And, the mandate applies to all hours of service (HOS) rules, including the 10-Hour Rule, 14-Hour Rule, 11-Hour Rule, 30-Minute Rest Breaks Rule, 70-Hour Rule, and 34-Hour Rule.

However, there are ELD compliance exemptions. If a driver falls under one of these categories, they are exempt from using an electronic logging device and can maintain a paper log book:

• Drivers who use paper RODS for not more than 8 days during any 30-day period
• Drivers conducting a drive-away-tow-away operation (an operation in which an empty or unladen motor vehicle with one or more sets of wheels on the surface of the roadway is being transported) if the vehicle being driven is the commodity being delivered, or if the vehicle being transported is a motorhome or recreational vehicle trailer.
• Drivers of vehicles manufactured before model year 2000

These updates and exemptions are great examples of why businesses that rely on fleets cannot assume that compliance is a single step process; it is critical to continually review your status and keep up with the latest compliance news.

Since most fleets and their drivers will need to be compliant with the final ELD rule, now is the time to make sure you understand all of the various differences between the AOBRDs of yesterday and the ELD devices of today.

AOBRDs, EOBRs and eLogs: a brief history

AOBRDs predate ELDs by 30 years; rules around their use were first published in 1988 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the U.S. Hours of Service of Drivers regulations Section 395.15¹. AOBRD technology has worked to make the logging of truck drivers’ HOS easier, though its use in the industry has been limited.

In 2010 the FMCSA expanded their ruling to require certain drivers and transportation companies use Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs), though this expansion was successfully challenged in court in 2011 as noted in the final ELD ruling². Today, AOBRDs and EOBRs are terms used interchangeably to describe pre-ELD mandate elogging devices.

AOBRDs vs ELDs – how they compare

AOBRDs and ELDs differ in how they operate, especially in relation to general functionality and device display. Here’s a quick overview of the FMCSA’s technical specifications³ to get you started:

It’s clear that ELDs come with additional compliance rules and stricter adherence policies. But that doesn’t mean they don’t offer fleets and drivers positive outcomes. That’s why it’s important to understand the benefits of fully compliant ELDs, too.

Why embracing ELDs is a good thing for trucking fleets

For those who have already adopted a compliant ELD for their fleet, the new compliance mandate has proven highly effective. In fact, according to the FMCSA⁴, “ELDs are working – hours of service violations have dropped significantly.”

And since the original ELD mandate went fully into effect, less than 1% of all roadside inspections have resulted in the driver being cited for operating without a required ELD⁵.In addition, trucks fitted with an ELD had:

• An 11.7% reduction in crash rates
• Lower preventable crash rates by 5.1%
• A 53% lower driving-related HOS violation rate
• A 49% lower non-driving-related HOS violation rate

Finally, year-over-year, the absolute number of maximum driving hour violations trended down in 2018⁶, and as more fleets adopt ELDs by the December 2019 deadline, it’s likely the number of violations will continue to decline.

Why bundle ELD and fleet tracking?

The fast approaching end of the AOBRD grandfathering period is a chance to reassess your fleet management systems in greater depth - are you getting the most out of your fleet of trucks now that you've got compliance ticked off? Verizon Connect's ELD offering, which bundles compliance with fleet tracking software, can improve business efficiency, reduce operational challenges and control costs beyond just reducing your risk of an HOS violation.

Many businesses, like Midwest-based trucking company R&M Trucking, stay compliant and productive practicing safety measures that go above and beyond what is required for a company in their industry. For any company still trying to decide on a provider to comply with the ELD mandate, R&M Trucking’s Safety and Compliance Director Mike Narvaez says the time to act is now.

“It’s here. You have to comply and you have to follow the law. The sooner you get on board, the better you’ll be. It’s a process, not a light switch. A company that waits to the last minute to be compliant, won’t be. That’s the bottom line.”

Sources

¹ https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/395.15

² https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/ELD%20Final%20Rule.pdf

³https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/differences-between-aobrds-and-elds

⁴https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/regulations/enforcement/406471/eld-infographic-6-month-update-f2508621.pdf

⁵ https://www.freightwaves.com/news/driver-issues/fmcsa-provides-updates-on-eld

⁶ https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SafetyProgram/spViolation.aspx?rpt=RDDV