The Trucker Newspaper - December 15-31, 2015

Technology
December 15-31, 2015 • 41
Courtesy: PEOPLENET
Per the electronic logging device mandate, the unit must be fixed, mounted and within arm’s
reach of the driver while the vehicle is in operation.
Aprille Hanson
aprilleh@thetrucker.com
Special to The Trucker
The final electronic logging device
(ELD) mandate for trucking companies has
been brewing for years, deep within the
confines of the Congress-enacted MAP-21
bill. The storm is nearing landfall, with the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
expected to issue the final mandate requiring
ELDs to keep track of truckers’ Hours of
Service any time now.
As of press time, however, that had not happened.
For carriers and drivers left out in the rain of
confusion, PeopleNet has provided an umbrella
— a guide titled, “Considerations for Complying
With the ELD Mandate.” The seven-page
document is meant primarily as a learning tool
for companies to be compliant while also getting
the most return on their investments, but
it is also an educational resource, providing
statistics and what to know about the mandate
itself.
“We can bring together a backdrop of information
and how they contribute to safety,
helping people better understand their
options and truly what it takes in terms of
Courtesy: PEOPLENET
Drivers using a smartphone or tablet outside of the cab can perform walk-around vehicle
inspections, complete proof of delivery forms, or stay connected with family and friends.
PeopleNet offers guide to take mystery out of choosing the appropriate ELD
team support” to successfully implement an
ELD, said Elise Chanielli, director of safety
and compliance at PeopleNet. “I think
a lot of times skepticism comes based on
conversations or kind of your assumptions,
so we can eliminate some assumptions and
show how they [ELDs] bring value to your
day.”
PeopleNet, a fleet mobility technology
company with more than 2,000 trucking industry
clients, began researching information to
include in the white paper about a month or so
before its release in October.
“A lot of it is from the mandate itself,”
Chanielli said about the stats and figures presented
in the white paper and from broader
FMCSA studies. However, Chanielli said PeopleNet
works closely with its clients, allowing
teams to validate information presented by
other organizations.
The mandate was put in place, according to
the paper, because “almost 400 motorists and
truck drivers are killed in large truck crashes
every month — and one third of these fatalities
and injuries are related to fatigued truck drivers,”
according to FMCSA statistics, Chanielli
said.
See ELD on p42 m
Omnitracs, Drivewyze partner to offer
GPS-based weigh station bypass service
Courtesy: OMNITRACS
PreClear will allow commercial truck drivers the ability to bypass weigh stations up to 98
percent of the time, depending on operators’ safety scores.
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
DALLAS — Omnitracs, a global provider
of fleet management solutions to transportation
and logistics companies, has partnered with
Drivewyze, a mobility services company for
the transportation industry, to equip Omnitracs
mobile computing platforms with its PreClear
Weigh Station Bypass services.
Through the integration of the Drivewyze
PreClear bypass solution, commercial truck
drivers are able to bypass weigh stations up to
98 percent of the time depending on the operators’
safety scores.
“By providing the Drivewyze PreClear
weigh station bypass service, Omnitracs is able
to offer customers an end-to-end mobile solution
that reduces costs and improves productivity,”
said Andrew Kelley, Omnitracs’ vice
president of corporate development. “With
this innovative solution, Omnitracs customers
no longer have to rely on separate, cumbersome
transponder-based systems if they want
to leverage their safety records to reduce the
amount of time their trucks needlessly spend at
weigh stations. We look forward to helping our
customers save time, money and fuel, thanks to
our partnership with Drivewyze.”
Drivewyze uses GPS technology and the mobile
Internet instead of traditional battery-operated
transponders, which must be mounted on the
windshield and can only be used at sites equipped
with poles and transponder readers. The GPS
technology and mobile Internet add transponderlike
functionality to electronic logging devices
or ELDs. The Drivewyze service is available at
611 fixed weigh stations and mobile inspection
sites throughout 35 states, meaning it provides
See Omnitracs on p42 m