Preparing Your Fleet for Roadside Inspections

In the year and a half since the ELD Mandate took effect, overall compliance has been high. Fleets have equipped their vehicles with electronic logging devices (ELDs) or automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRDs), replacing paper logs and improving Hours of Service (HoS) recording. What they’ve struggled to do, however, is properly train their drivers on how to use them.

Though device use is a major part of the ELD Mandate, it’s also vital that drivers understand how to use the devices, especially during roadside inspections. As highway enforcement continues to issue hundreds of violations for failures to demonstrate compliance, fleets continue to pay the price.

As your drivers make their way around the country, use these tips to guarantee successful, pain-free roadside inspections.

1. Train drivers to use your devices

During inspections, drivers have to successfully transfer electronic logs from their device to the FMCSA web service. They can transfer the files either electronically, through email or wireless web services, or locally, via Bluetooth or a USB drive. With hundreds of ELDs and AOBRDs on the market, inspectors rely on drivers to quickly and effectively produce their own logs. Unfortunately, a large number of citations come from drivers who can’t operate their devices. To avoid this, make sure your employees are fully knowledgeable and comfortable with their ELDs.

2. Know the requirements

The ELD Mandate outlines several documents that must be kept in your vehicles at all times. These documents include ELD/AOBRD user manuals, data transfer instructions, instructions regarding ELD malfunctions and recording requirements, and a minimum of 8 days’ worth of log sheets. Each driver should also carry bills of lading and fuel receipts as supporting documents, in case they’re requested. Keep your drivers prepared and equipped by fully understanding these requirements and the others included in the ELD Mandate.

3. Track inspection results

Unaddressed problems often snowball into greater issues, so make sure you track your fleet’s inspection results. If you notice a trend among violations or see that a specific driver is struggling, focus on solving the issue. This will also enable you to quickly identify and fix any problems with your devices. The more prepared you can keep your fleet, the less you’ll end up paying in fines.

How do you keep your drivers prepared for roadside inspections?