It is estimated that between 10% and 25% of all road accidents are related to fatigue. Not only does this have an impact on fleet safety, it also costs companies millions (even billions) each year in repair, insurance fees and productivity loss.
The number of hours spent driving has a strong correlation to the number of fatigue-related accidents. MiX Hours of Service helps to manage this by providing understanding of the appropriate driving, work and rest hours a driver should adhere to, measuring driver activities and giving you the opportunity to intervene when driving hours rules are violated.
The MiX Hours of Service solution is perfect for you if feel you are being exposed to unnecessary risk on the road due to fatigue, if your drivers are being fined for violating driving hours laws and/or if your drivers are failing roadside inspections.
Features
HOS reporting
CENTRALIZED DRIVER MANAGEMENT
REAL-TIME ALERTS
LOG VIEWING AND EDITING
COMPREHENSIVE RULESET SUPPORT
ELD REGULATIONS
Electronic logging device or ELD rules are a congressional mandate with the intent to create a safer work environment as well as a more accurate, consistent, and accessible way to log driver Hours of Service (HOS).” And further correct, “Using an electronic Hours of Service tracker instead. The mandate was put into place to ensure that drivers take their required breaks at the right intervals and get the rest they need to stay alert while driving. Using an electronic Hours of Service tracker instead of manual logbooks makes it easier for companies to comply with the HOS rules and for FMCSA agents to verify that the drivers are in compliance with these laws.
The ELD mandate does not change a driver’s responsibility to track their driving and off-duty hours. Instead, it requires them to use approved driver Hours of Service tracking software.
The HOS regulations apply to all drivers who operate semi-trucks as well as city and school buses, basically any commercial motor vehicle (CMV). A motor vehicle is classified as a CMV if it meets the following criteria:
- Weighs more than 10,000 pounds.
- Has a total weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more.
- Has the capability to transport 16+ people, including the driver, or 9+ people for paid transport.
- Can transport Haz-Mat that require placards.
If a vehicle fits into one of the categories above, the driver must comply with HOS regulations and keep a qualified ELD.
ELDs can automatically track, manage, and share data with ease and accuracy. They track four types of behaviors called statuses.
- Off-Duty: Hours when drivers are not driving.
- On-Duty: On-the-clock hours when drivers are unloading, fueling, or inspecting their vehicle.
- Driving: Actual hours of driving in the vehicle.
- Sleeper Berth: Hours when the driver is resting or sleeping in the sleeping compartment.
The HOS regulations are intended to make sure that drivers are awake and alert while driving so that they will make fewer errors and have fewer accidents caused by driver fatigue. HOS regulations are as follows:
- 11-Hour Limit: This refers to driving hours only. Drivers cannot drive more than 11 hours total before taking their 10-hour break.
- 14-Hour Limit: This refers to driving hours and on-duty hours. Drivers cannot exceed more than 14 hours of combined driving and on-duty hours.
- 70-hour / Eight-day period: This refers to how many hours a driver can spend in combined on-duty and driving status during an eight-day period. After the eight-day period, the time is reset after drivers take a 34-hour break. Drivers can opt to use a 60 hour / 7-day period.
- Eight Hour / 30-Minute Break: After a combined eight hours of on-duty or driving status, drivers must take a 30-minute sleeper or off-duty status break.
- 10-Hour Break: Drivers must take a 10-hour sleeper berth or off-duty break after every 11 hours driving status or 14 hours on duty status.
EXCEPTIONS TO HOS RULES
The HOS rules are pretty clear, however, there are some exceptions you should know about. Although the vehicle may still be considered a CMV, these exceptions excuse the drivers from maintaining a log. Current exceptions include the following:
30-MINUTE BREAK EXEMPTION
Short-haul CDL drivers carriers operating within 100 air miles from their work location or short-haul non-CDL drivers carriers operating within 150 air miles from their work location are exempt from a 30-minute break.
16-HOUR SHORT-HAUL EXEMPTION
Drivers who qualify can lengthen their 14-hour driving window to 16 driving hours once every seven consecutive days.
ADVERSE DRIVING CONDITIONS EXEMPTION
This exemption allows drivers to lengthen the maximum driving limit to two hours if specific conditions are met. The exemption applies only if the adverse driving conditions could not have been known prior to the driver starting to drive. This includes weather conditions such as unexpected snow or fog or unforeseen events that cause a road to be closed.
DIRECT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE EXEMPTION
In emergency conditions declared by the FMCSA, state governors, or the President, HOS rules can be suspended temporarily, and drivers may complete their run without violating the rules, as long as their run could be reasonably completed without the emergency.
ELD MANDATE
In effect since December 18, 2017, the ELD mandate requires the electronic documentation of drivers’ logs.
Most fleets and their drivers must have ELDs installed if the vehicle is a model year 2001 or higher.
Drivers and fleets that fail to maintain ELD HOS logs can incur fines and penalties.
MORE BENEFITS OF MIX HOURS OF SERVICE SOLUTIONS
MiX’s Hours of Service tracker solutions go beyond ELD and HOS compliance. Investing in a full-featured ELD will deliver improved compliance, improved safety, and improved efficiency. A full-featured one can reduce a fleet’s overall costs. Here’s how.
COMPLIANCE IMPROVEMENTS
In the U.S., fleets need to manage the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) compliance and fuel-tax reporting. And there are vertical-specific rules to comply with, such as the ability to track the status of “Off-Duty at Well Site” for the Oil and Gas industry. ELDs and fleet management with MiX by Powerfleet can handle these statuses automatically, reducing your fleet’s exposure to fines, and in turn, improving its CSA score.
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
Safety is the number one benefit of fleet management solutions and ELDs. You can track assets and unsafe, aggressive driver behavior such as speeding, harsh braking, and rapid acceleration and use that information to help the driver improve their performance, thus improving overall fleet safety. With an ELD and fleet management system that has integrated in-cab video, you get the evidence you can use in accident reconstruction for insurance purposes.
EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS
ELDs free your fleet from paper logs, which means you save both time and money. You save time on reporting and can improve fuel economy by curbing the aggressive driver behaviors mentioned above. Improved asset tracking can also save you money by helping to locate, track, and manage assets equipment and trailers.
HOW MIX HOURS OF SERVICE LETS FLEET MANAGERS GAIN VISIBILITY
The main driver behind the ELD Mandate is safety and the need to better track and enforce Hours of Service rules. With MiX driver Hours of Service software, you can
gain insight into the locations and driving hours throughout your fleet to stay in ELD compliance and maintain or improve your safety status.
MiX’s Hours of Service tracker is our core ELD solution and integrates seamlessly with MiX Fleet Manager Premium, our comprehensive fleet management solution.
Together these solutions provide all the features required for ELD and Hours of Service compliance and much more.
Together these solutions provide all the features required for ELD and Hours of Service compliance and much more.
DOT/NON-DOT MODE
Drivers can dictate whether their vehicle should be treated as DOT or non-DOT for a particular driving period. This is key for vehicles that need to comply with DOT regulations and roadside inspections only when they are trailered.
MIX HOS TIME CLOCK
This web portal time clock allows HOS drivers to log on-duty/off-duty hours, view violations, print logs, and so on without requiring a vehicle display.
MULTIPLE DRIVER LOG ON
In-cab displays allow multiple drivers to log in simultaneously. This works for both slip seating and crew trucks.
TIME CLOCK MODE
When multiple crew members are being transported to a job, the display can act as a single log-in for all.
“FOLLOW ME” LOGS
Drivers can switch between vehicles on the fly and manage compliance, whether in or out of cellular coverage, without the need for expensive backup satellite communications. The electronic logbook travels with drivers and synchronizes in parallel over-the-air.