GPS fleet tracking systems compulsory from 2012
May
From June 1, 2012, any fleet that fails a DOT audit will be required to install an EOBR (Electronic On Board Recorder).
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) announced the new ruling on April 5, 2010 and the change will impact over 5,500 trucking companies around the U.S.
The rule states that fleets breach HOS (Hours of Service) rules 10% of the time or more, based on a single DOT audit, must use an EOBR to monitor driver hours.
Carriers that refuse to install an EOBR will not be allowed to work interstate and may even have their operating authority revoked.
An EOBR is a GPS device electronically connected to the truck’s engine to make sure driving information is recorded accurately and securely. A wireless GPS device, synchronized with the vehicle’s engine will be set to securely record driving hours and distance to improve regulation of safe driving practices.
Why the change?
Compliance is often seen as an irritation, an unwanted expense and a time-consuming hassle by many business owners. Some see it as an attempt by government agencies to micro-manage and over-regulate their industry while not providing any significant benefit for the business.
But this time, it appears there are very important reasons for its introduction. It’s being introduced to improve safety for other road users and reign in HOS violators.
Disturbing crash statistics show fleets that breach the 10% threshold for HOS have a crash rate 40% higher than normal. Fleets that breach the threshold repeatedly have a 90% higher crash rate.
How does this benefit fleets?
The change may mean an initial up-front expense for fleets that are required to install GPS tracking devices but they may be pleasantly surprised to find that what was first believed to be an expense turns into an investment. In fact, many firms who are already using Telogis® GPS location technology get a positive return on investment within 120 days.
If you want to calculate the potential return on investment for your fleet, and how much you could save, use the GPS ROI calculator.
Aside from being a legal requirement for some, GPS fleet tracking is benefiting hundreds of fleets right now.
- Improved asset utilization – Some fleets have realized that their fleet is not being used economically, or workloads are not balanced evenly. In a few cases, vehicles that are not used at all were realized, and thus contributing to major savings for the business.
- Better preventative maintenance – With more accurate vehicle diagnostics being fed automatically into fleet management software, fleet managers are finding it easier to keep on top of preventative maintenance, taking better care of fleet vehicles, reducing the incidence of expensive repairs and lowering the overall total cost of ownership (TCO).
- Smarter route optimization – Fleet managers can use route optimization software to enhance built-in GPS vehicle devices to minimize wasted fuel and driving miles. Route optimization software is designed to make sure the closest capable driver is sent to a job, which simplifies the job of managing multiple vehicles with different attributes and servicing varying customer needs.
- Effective driver management tools – Having reliable, impartial information on driver patterns, habits and routes taken, managers using GPS tracking are able to start offering drivers incentives to improve overall driver performance, which leads to better fuel economy, safer driving and more responsive customer service.
With the recent change announced, fleets with GPS devices linked to engine diagnostics will enjoy the additional benefit of a more lenient and relaxed DOT review for using this type of compliance.
This means the onerous task of collecting supporting documents such as toll receipts will also no longer be needed.
The FMCSA hopes these benefits will encourage fleets to comply voluntarily before the mandate is enforced in 2012.
Is this the start of stricter driver policing?
When issuing the new ruling, the FMCSA hinted at future requirements to monitor fleet drivers with even stricter measures, and not just those fleets that fail a DOT audit.
Truck makers and other vehicle manufacturers who install GPS devices as OEM will need to make sure they comply with the FMCSA standards from April 2012 onwards.
Whatever changes happen in the future, many fleets are seeing the benefits of switching to GPS fleet management software right now.
