Is Electronic Logging Working?

[ATeam]

Electronic logging has been out long enough now and is widespread enough that an answer to this question should be available. A survey would be easy enough to do, I would think. My question is, has electronic logging reduced the number of accidents commercial vehicles have?

It would be easy enough to answer, would it not? A fleet can examine a million miles run by trucks before ELDs/EOBRs were used and after. What was the accident rate per million miles before and after ELD's?

Are there any studies like this out there yet? While the results will no doubt be debated, the question itself is about hard data.

 

[Moot]

My question is, has electronic logging reduced the number of accidents commercial vehicles have?

I don't know if electronic logging has reduced accidents. In theory it should reduce the number of logbook violations and simplify things for safety departments. Also, it could reduce litigation or at least data from electronic logs could be used in court to support a carriers contention that a driver was operating within the HOS regulations. I guess that cuts both ways. A plaintiff's lawyer could also use that information.

On a side note to your post about the trucker on trucker murder. If they do apprehend the suspected shooter, unless he is still in possession of the murder weapon, it could be difficult to make a case. Electronic logs or QC data could place him at the scene at the time of the shooting. Keep us posted on that story.