In The News
VDO ELD provides print-out of driver logs, eliminates need to dismount device
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Continental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket, a global supplier of systems and components to automobile and truck manufacturers, and a global provider of electronic logging device (ELD) technology, has confirmed that the thermal printer built into all VDO RoadLog ELDs and ELD Plus units will eliminate the need to dismount the ELD and hand the device to an inspection officer outside of the cab.
VDO RoadLog is a product of Continental.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's final rule on ELDs published December 16, 2015, calls for electronic log data transfers by methods such as Web services and e-mail or Bluetooth and USB 2.0. However, these methods are not yet practical, Continental officials said.
Standards for data formatting and transfer are not yet complete, and in many instances, data transfer will not work, according to Alexis Capelle, Continental's ELD program manager.
The rule states "where data transfer is not practical, the driver can still show enforcement compliance via a printout or the ELD display."
The VDO RoadLog ELD prints out a traditional logbook-style graph, along with all required HOS/RODS data, on a roll of thermal printer paper, Capelle said.
Drivers with ELDs that don't have printers need to be ready to dismount their ELD and hand it outside the vehicle, because the rule also states that the ELD must be securely mounted in the vehicle, and "during roadside inspections, authorized safety officials may ask drivers to hand them their ELD outside of the CMV so that they may examine the ELD display of data at a safe distance outside of the CMV."
"Having to dismount the ELD and pass it out of the cab raises concerns over dropped units breaking and officers having access to more information than is legally required. RoadLog's printout avoids these issues entirely, and it delivers all the information required by the FMCSA regulation. In addition, the log printout is far easier to read and interpret by enforcement officers than viewing an ELD display, meaning less time spent at inspection and more time driving," Capelle said.
Capelle called VDO RoadLog is a breakthrough in log automation and one of the first stand-alone ELDs offered in North America, providing an affordable, easy to use, plug-and-play solution for compliance reporting. RoadLog combines GPS data with input from the vehicle to create a digital log that the driver can either download or print out as needed.
For more information, visit www.vdoroadlog.com or contact [email protected].
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