AOBRD vs. ELD, what’s the difference? That’s a question that many of our clients and prospects have asked us recently now that ELD D-Day is here!
Hopefully, that is as anti-climatic for you as it is for almost everyone else in the industry.
As you’ll see, there isn’t much difference between an AOBRD and an ELD.
Now that the “Big Day” has come and gone, let’s jump right in and make sure we know what we have to do to stay compliant in this new era of Hours of Service enforcement.
Data Captured
One of the most significant differences between AOBRDs and their ELD siblings is that ELDs capture more data than the AOBRD did.
Specifically, the ELD captures more information about the driver, the company and the vehicle’s location.
Data that will now be captured includes when the driver logs in and out, when the vehicle is turned on and off and when the device malfunctions.
AOBRD vs. ELD Location History
Your ELD will now record the device’s location when there is a change in duty status and every 60 minutes while driving, when the engine is turned off or on and when yard moves or personal conveyance mode is selected. This location will now be accurate to 1 mile when “On Duty” and within 10 miles when in “Personal Conveyance” mode.
AOBRD vs. ELD Edit History
Both AOBRDs and ELDs record when an edit is made and who that edit is made by. But, AOBRDs required a bit of effort to find that information. ELDs place that information front and center, especially for law enforcement officers.
Additionally, all automatically recorded events (Driving Time, Engine Off/On, Log In/Log Out, Malfunctions, etc) can’t be changed in an ELD. Notations can be added regarding the event to try to explain what happened but the history is now set in stone, so to speak.
ELD Roadside Data Transfer
If a driver was stopped, the officer would have to examine the driver’s device if it was an AOBRD or an ELD operating in AOBRD mode. Now, with ELDs, the driver will have to know how to transfer the data from the ELD device to the officer electronically.
AOBRD vs. ELD Driving Time
Previously, driving time could only be edited when that time was attributed to a driver in error. Now, Driving time can’t be edited at all.
The bottom line is that ELDs are simply more restrictive in that ALL vehicle miles must now be accounted for. There is no more going back and having a driver simply correct mistakes that were made on their electric logs.
Drivers will now have to make a very conscious effort before the truck is put in motion as to how the time should be recorded.
For instance, “Unassigned Drive Time” will now be brought to the attention of a driver once they log in. (UDT occurs when the vehicle is operated but the driver wasn’t logged in). The driver will now have to decide how to properly record that time prior to moving the truck.
Additionally, when the truck hasn’t moved for 5 minutes, a driver will now be prompted to adjust the duty status or their clock will automatically be moved into “On Duty-Not Driving” status.
If you’re not already familiar with how to utilize “Yard Move” and Personal Conveyance” modes effectively, I encourage you to check out our recent blog post about the proper uses of Personal Conveyance.
As you can see, there are a few differences between AOBRD vs. ELD. But, none of these are major changes. It mostly requires drivers to be more careful about how vehicle miles are recorded.
But, the FMCSA, State DOTs, CVSA and other law enforcement agencies aren’t messing around. If a driver is now found to be operating without a compliant and functional ELD in their truck, the vehicle will be placed out-of-service. They won’t be allowed to continue to operate without an ELD.
My Safety Manager is a leading provider of fleet safety management and trucking compliance services for fleets of all sizes.
Our specialized safety management solutionshelp deliver results—safe drivers out on the road who are staying compliant with regulations.
We work with you to create customized solutions that meet your unique needs, taking what’s typically far too much work off your plate so you have more time to grow your business.
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