How ELDs Improve Driver Safety
Oded Ran, CEO and Co-Founder of Clue since 2019, expertly integrates AI and data tools to revolutionize construction equipment management and maintenance, positioning Clue as a premier software choice in the construction industry.
The words electronic logging device may be a scary phrase, but when fleet owners hear about them, the conversation usually begins and ends with compliance.
They’re mandatory, they automate logging hours, and they make sure you live out with the law.
And that’s where the value of actionable insights becomes apparent.
With Clue, fleet managers can gain a much deeper level of visibility into how operations correlate with safety goals.
It simplifies raw ELD data by transforming it into meaningful patterns and recommendations that will allow organizations to address the root causes of driver behavior and construction equipment management and avoid compromising safety for compliance.
What is an ELDs and its Function
An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is simply a specialized hardware device that records an ELD driver’s Hours of Service (HOS).
It acquires and records vital data while being directly connected to the vehicle's engine electronic control module (ECM).
ELDs automatically track driving time down to the hour, and data rarely goes beyond the hour, however, ELDs do track information like vehicle status, engine power status, and many other key metrics.
They also keep a driver's Record of Duty Status (RODS), to ensure compliance and operational data tracking.
Under federal ELD regulations, all such ELDs in the United States must be self-certified and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The Regulation requires that an accredited third-party certification body test and certify ELDs.
ELDs and Their Impact on Driver Safety
Compliance and Fatigue Reduction
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are a major part of driver fatigue reduction, but ELDs play an important role in enforcing those rules.
This automation implements mandatory breaks for construction fleet drivers, operating in long hours and demanding schedules, to minimize the risk of fatigue-related accidents.
ELDs facilitate safer work environments and more manageable work environments for drivers by integrating compliance into daily operations.
Through analytics of HOS trends across the fleet, Clue helps support compliance and fatigue management for fleet managers.
Our preventive maintenance scheduling and work order management features help preventive schedule maintenance that will keep vehicles in top condition and relieve drivers of concerns over mechanical failures.
Our user-friendly dashboards allow managers to protect drivers from overworking by proactively addressing them, resulting in safer, more manageable schedules.
Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts
Live updates in ELDS are vehicle activity and the data obtained includes driver behavior, such as harsh braking, rapid acceleration, and excessive idling.
That gives fleet managers insights into how to address unsafe practices in real-time.
The ELD generates alerts that alert the driver to immediate safety issues, e.g. unexpected vehicle problems or road hazards.
Clue monitors the fleet and equipment activity in real time with actionable insights.
It has an integrated alert system in its mobile app, which will notify the managers if equipment is misused or if vehicles are moving in restricted areas.
Managers can customize alerts to specify what types of behaviors to alert on (e.g, idling, entering unauthorized zones, etc.), such that any incursion into these alterable behaviors can be addressed immediately to maintain operational safety standards.
Accident Prevention
ELDs are designed to track patterns of driving, pick up on risky behavior, like a harsh brake application or sudden lane change, and pass that information onto fleet managers so they, in turn, can target safety training for drivers.
A proactive approach like this will reduce the chances of accidents, in particular, in high-pressure construction sites.
Features such as equipment inspections and maintenance alerts, combine to make Clue a great software to keep accidents from happening.
By integrating ELD data into its fleet management system, Clue identifies equipment or driver behavior-based safety hazards for managers to address.
By correlating high-risk actions to specific zones or conditions, Clue allows fleets to follow targeted training and safety protocols, reducing the work environment from being unsafe.
High-Risk Zone Monitoring
Not only do ELDs keep track of hours, but they also use GPS technology to notify drivers when they’re headed toward high-risk zones, such as congested urban areas or live construction sites.
These alerts increase drivers’ vigilance and get them to adjust their driving behavior to meet the requirements of an environment.
With GPS tracking integrations offered by Clue, a manager can set up virtual boundaries around sensitive areas.
Real-time alerts are generated when equipment or vehicles enter or exit these zones to ensure compliance with safety protocols.
Through these zones, fleet managers can monitor the activities in an area and quickly glean any deviations from the guided rules, which cuts down on risks.
Controlled Speeding
ELDs act as a preventative safety measure by capturing real-time speed data to ensure drivers are not driving faster than safe speeds.
This data is essential in construction zones where the stakes are high for heavy equipment and pedestrian activity.
ELDs help managers figure out which routes are speeding frequently, which routes that speed occur most frequently, or on which periods they speed the most.
They not only provide for corrective actions in the short term, but they also provide direction for long-term approaches if things go wrong—the route adjustment or driver training program to prevent a similar situation in the future.
ELD Features that Improve Safety
All ELDs must contain basic components such as the automatic logging of duty status, mandated by the FMCSA.
Since the implementation of the recent ELD mandate, the concern of the fleet operators has been mostly on achieving compliance and avoiding steep fines per HOS violation, which can go up to $11,000 or more in certain situations.
But when it comes to picking an ELD solution, don’t stop at that; there’s more to every selection.
However, some very advanced ELD systems provide advanced features and added functionalities that can generate huge value well beyond compliance.
Driver-Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR)
The ELDs allow for electronic DVIRs, so drivers can do pre-trip and post-trip inspections smartly.
Through this digital process, vehicle defects or technology failures are quickly identified and dealt with, which reduces downtime, improves safety, and will help to significantly reduce road accidents.
For construction fleets where equipment reliability is key, streamlined DVIRs mean higher job site performance.
In real-time, Clue integrates with ELDs to analyze and streamline inspection status and maintenance needs.
Its work order management system helps fleet managers schedule and track repairs efficiently to keep the equipment ready when it is needed and lessen unexpected delays.
State Mileage
With advanced ELDs, the distance traveled in each state is automatically recorded so fuel tax reporting and maintaining compliance with the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) is simplified.
This feature eliminates the burden of manual entries and administrative burden with high accuracy and precision tax filings and is highly relevant for fleets functioning across jurisdictions.
The reporting and analytics feature from Clue combines state mileage data with other operational metrics so managers can understand trends and apply improvements to develop optimal route planning.
Using ELD data along with GPS tracking, Clue allows fleets to identify their most efficient routes to save money, and increase productivity.
Vehicle Diagnostics
Vehicle diagnostics monitor engine health and performance in real-time with ELDs equipped with engine diagnostics.
They can also alert managers to things like engine malfunctions or a low battery voltage, so they can schedule preventive maintenance to avoid possible break-downs.
Accurate and Automatic Recordkeeping
ELD logs precisely and tamper-proof vehicle movement, driving hours, and rest periods, and automates the recording of this information.
This automation is also used to support compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations and gives us data to analyze our fleet.
Clue turns data gathered from ELDs into insights that can be acted on with its intuitive single pane of glass.
This data can be used by fleet managers to see how the resources are utilized, how much resources are utilized poorly, and how to optimize operations to meet project deadlines effectively.
Fuel Efficiency
Fuel monitoring features in ELDs can tell when you have your vehicle idling longer than necessary, as well as when you have been driving too aggressively.
The data supports program implementation geared toward fuel-consuming practices that are seen as fuel-efficient by the user.
Combining ELD data with other fleet metrics, Clue improves fuel efficiency effectiveness.
It tracks the effects of remedial action like driver training or route changes and shows where the improvements can be made.
Why ELDs and Telematics are Essential for Construction Fleets
ELDs and telematics are used to streamline construction fleet operations through maintenance, safety, and efficiency.
- Maximize Uptime: Real-time diagnostics and alerts ensure timely maintenance, preventing breakdowns and keeping equipment operational.
- Reduce Wear and Tear: Monitoring operator behavior like harsh braking or idling helps address misuse, extending equipment lifespan.
- Minimize Downtime: Automated inspections and integrated repair schedules ensure quick resolution of equipment issues.
- Lower Fuel Costs: Real-time fuel tracking identifies inefficiencies, enabling optimized routes and reduced consumption.
- Improve Safety: Geofencing and alerts ensure equipment stays within designated areas, while unsafe actions like speeding trigger immediate notifications.
Conclusion
Compliance is simply an adoption of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), but in the case of construction fleets, it directly impacts safety, efficiency, and productivity.
However raw ELD data isn’t enough to solve business issues.
By transforming data into actionable insights that can drive improvements in safety, maintenance, and costs, this is where Clue adds value.
Using Clue, construction fleet managers receive real-time visibility, geofencing, and data-driven recommendations to increase safety and achieve performance.
Clue helps identify risky behavior to optimize fuel usage, so your fleet is optimized and as safe as possible.
With Clue, data works for you: Improve compliance and safety while increasing operational efficiency.
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FAQs
What happens when you get a violation on an ELD?
Some common ELD violations include: Lack of documentation, Failure of an FMCSA-compliant device, Improper mounting, and Incomplete or false logs. Out of service for at least 10 hours for non-exempt drivers who don't have an ELD when required. You could get up to $13,072 in a maximum civil penalty for each day the violation continues. This means the vehicle probably will need to be towed and can cost up to $344 for a 40-mile tow. The final action is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could also launch a formal investigation.
What is the new ELD mandate in 2024?
A federal law, the ELD mandate, requires drivers to ditch paper logs and Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRD) for automated ELDs. You wouldn't expect paper logs to be entirely precise, and especially if drivers are tired and overworked they can make an error.
What states require an ELD?
Most current intrastate drivers of commercial vehicles do use an ELD. The ELD mandate by the FMCSA is a federal mandate, but all 50 states, except California, have already signed their intrastate ELD mandates.
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