ELD Stops Working? Essential Steps for Truck Drivers
When an electronic logging device (ELD) malfunctions, drivers must continue documenting their hours of service and create a paper record until the device is restored. The process is intended to preserve an accurate record of the current day and, when necessary, reconstruct the previous seven days.
Continue Tracking Hours on Paper
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires most drivers who maintain records of duty status to use an electronic logging device. However, a malfunction does not suspend hours-of-service requirements.
Drivers must continue operating within the applicable limits, including the 11-hour driving limit, the 14-hour on-duty window, the required 30-minute break, and the 60- or 70-hour weekly limits.
Reconstructing Previous Records
When the ELD stops working, the driver should create a clear paper trail while maintaining an accurate hours-of-service record. The current day’s duty status must be recorded on paper, along with each subsequent day until the ELD is functioning again.
The previous seven days also may need to be reconstructed on paper. That step can be skipped if the driver’s record-of-duty-status information for those days remains retrievable from the ELD.
Compliance During an ELD Malfunction
Operating without a functioning and properly registered ELD can result in violations and, in some circumstances, an out-of-service order. Accurate paper records help document the driver’s compliance while the malfunction is being addressed.
Technology failures can occur without warning, making it important for drivers to understand the required paper-log procedures and maintain a complete record of their duty status throughout the interruption.
