The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck inspection event—taking place June 4-6 across North America—will once again shine its trusty penlight on hours-of-service compliance.

Hours of service is the No. 1 cause of driver out-of-service violations. With the electronic logging device mandate taking full effect later this year on Dec. 16, inspectors will be taking a close look at ELD-related compliance. So, be prepared.

The consequences of infractions are serious. An ELD violation can not only take a truck and driver out of service at the roadside, the most severe can add five points to a carrier’s safety measurement system score. Here are four important ways to stay compliant:

1. Make sure your ELD is on the FMCSA’s list of registered devices

The FMCSA does not endorse or issue certificates that an ELD vendor can pass along to users as proof of registration. Simply put, carriers and drivers need to make sure their ELD is on the FMCSA’s list of registered devices (https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/ELD/List). Transflo’s ELD is a fully integrated telematics solution that is self-certified and on FMCSA’s list of registered ELDs.

Remember, only FMCSA-approved ELDs are acceptable for recording duty status effective Dec. 16, 2019. “Grandfathered” automatic on-board recorders (AOBRDs) will be no longer allowed.

2. The ELD display must be accessible from outside the vehicle

An ELD must be designed so that a safety official can read the display without having to enter the vehicle. For instance, the display may be untethered from its mount or connected in a manner that would allow it to be passed outside of the vehicle for a reasonable distance. If the ELD uses a mobile device, the driver doesn’t have to hand it to the inspector; he can handle it on the inspector’s behalf as long as the display is visible.

3. Claim all unassigned driving time

When a driver logs into an ELD, he has to review any unassigned driving time recorded by the device and either claim it under his own account or indicate that the time belongs to someone else. Administrative users must review this unassigned driving time and be able to attribute it to the appropriate driver. Failing to correct unassigned driving time can result in an out-of-service condition and a violation with a five-point severity weight.

4. Make a written note of ELD malfunctions and use paper logs when necessary

If the ELD warns the driver about a malfunction or diagnostic event, the driver needs to try to resolve the issue or switch to paper logs and notify the carrier in writing (text message or email) that the malfunction persists. An inspector will ask the driver to produce a supply of blank paper logs in the cab sufficient to record duty status and other related information for at least eight days.

Other ELD-related violations carry smaller weights and center around proper information. For example, the Transflo Telematics portal asks drivers to log in with their license number and state; the carrier’s DOT number; their home terminal address; VIN; and other required information.

Drivers should have access to instructions about how to enter, retrieve, and transfer data. These documents are available in electronic format within the Transflo Mobile+ app (under Required Documents). Or you can download them here:

– Transflo Telematics Roadside Inspection Card (https://www.transflo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Roadside-Inspection-Card-Inspeccion-de-Carretera-_01122018.pdf)

– Transflo Telematics Diagnostic and Malfunction Events (https://www.transflo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Transflo-Telematics-Diagnostic-and-Malfunction-Events.pdf)

– Transflo Telematics ELD User Manual (https://eld.fmcsa.dot.gov/List)

These tips should help drivers and carriers successfully make it through the ELD portion of any roadside inspection, including Roadcheck 2019. Visit the Transflo ELD Support Center for more information (https://www.transflo.com/transflo-eld-support-center/).