What Is an ELD? Electronic Logging Device Overview
An ELD records a CDL driver's hours of service automatically. Learn what ELDs do, who is required to have one, and how to find FMCSA-registered devices.
Federal ELD requirements apply to most interstate CDL drivers who must maintain Records of Duty Status (RODS). Hours of service rules limit daily driving time, on-duty windows, and weekly limits. Exemptions exist for qualifying short-haul and other operations.
An ELD records a CDL driver's hours of service automatically. Learn what ELDs do, who is required to have one, and how to find FMCSA-registered devices.
Which CDL drivers and carriers must use an electronic logging device under the FMCSA ELD mandate, and which may qualify for exemptions.
Federal rules exempt certain drivers from the ELD mandate: short-haul operators, driveaway-towaway drivers, and pre-2000 model-year vehicles.
FMCSA hours of service rules for property-carrying CDL drivers: 11-hour limit, 14-hour window, 30-minute break, and weekly limits explained.
CDL drivers within a 150 air-mile radius may qualify for the short-haul ELD exemption. Learn the conditions and what records you must keep.
Owner-operators subject to ELD rules need a compliant device on the FMCSA list. Learn your obligations whether leased to a carrier or under own authority.
ELD malfunction procedures: driver and carrier notification requirements, the 8-day repair window, and maintaining paper logs at roadside inspections.
What personal conveyance is under FMCSA guidance, when it applies, how it records on an ELD, and what disqualifies a move from being logged as PC.