In the world of commercial transportation, it’s essential to stay on top of the latest mandates and regulations to ensure that your trucking business remains compliant with all FMCSA regulations. Failure to comply can lead to severe consequences, including shutting down your operations.
One of the critical areas of compliance is adhering to the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations and the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the fundamentals of HOS and ELD regulations, and explore the reasons why they are essential for your business. By understanding these requirements, you can implement effective strategies to ensure your business complies and it runs smoothly.
Hours of Service (HOS)
First, let’s cover the basics: Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are among many DOT regulations. They are set in place to ensure that drivers are not operating over a certain number of hours, keeping them from becoming too tired and possibly putting themselves and others on the road at risk.
The limit for a driver’s HOS is based on any given duty cycle. Currently, the FMCSA requires drivers not to exceed the 14-hour maximum allowed after ten consecutive hours off duty. Drivers must take a minimum 30-minute break after driving for eight hours. To learn more about these specific HOS regulations, visit the FMCSA website.
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
Since 2017, the FMCSA has required compliance with its ELD mandate. So, having an ELD for each of your commercial vehicles is a requirement by law. If you were unfamiliar with these, Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are digital devices kept inside the trucks. They are used to keep logs on important data during hours of operation, such as miles driven vehicle movement, and you guessed it– hours of service!
Luckily, finding and using the right ELD will ensure that you can track your hours of service to ensure you stay within the driving limits. Having an ELD and staying within HOS limits go hand in hand with following FMCSA regulations, so using an ELD will relieve stress about being safety compliant.
Ensuring compliance with FMCSA regulations is a critical aspect of running a successful trucking business. Implementing an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) system is an essential step toward achieving this goal. If you are considering an ELD system, we highly recommend Simplex’s ELD 5G Data system. Our ELD solution has been designed to streamline compliance with all FMCSA regulations, including Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Safety Audits, and more. By taking advantage of our ELD system, you can ensure that your business remains compliant, and avoid potential consequences that could harm your business. Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how Simplex can help you meet your compliance needs.