Truckers' Logbooks -Logging Hours Of ServiceElectronically

Gone are the days when you
had to depend on manual
entries in truckers/ logbooks
for the hours of service log.
With the Hours of Service
(HOS) software module, making the logbook entry,
recording, and compilation
of information has become a
fully automated process. It is
an easy and foolproof
method that can be carried out from the cabin of the
truck. It eliminates the
earlier time consuming
manual process that was
prone to all sorts of errors.
This software with the help of GPS eliminates the need
for manual audits. The
workload of the driver is
simplified because of the
easy to understand and easy
to use content and sequence of the screen which also
facilitates rapid data entry.
Moreover, compliance with
DOT and FMCSA regulations
is also possible with ease. Details of Data Recorded With the help of electronic
hours of service log, the
following HOS total times
in-cab data of each driver is
recorded. They include the
start time and date of being on duty, the total drive time
since the last qualified rest,
cumulative drive time and
on-duty time since last
qualified rest, cumulative on
duty and drive time against weekly totals, current status
that the driver is using, total
distance in miles that the
driver has covered in the last
24 hours, current on duty
status time, current sleeper berth status time and current
off duty status time. Transmission of Data The hours of service log data
is recorded, transmitted and
displayed through the in-cab
Message Display Terminal
(MDT) and the Net 960 CE-X.
All relevant HOS information such as driver ID
and current status is entered
with the help of MDT. The
information is transmitted
with a simple push of the
button through a wireless network for storage in a
computer and retrieval when
necessary. This data can also
be sent to drivers as and
when necessary. The in-cab
display can accommodate up to eight days of driving data.
Slip seat operations can also
be accommodated in the HOS
module. The electronic recorder used
for HOS compliance is
connected to the Electronic
Control Module (ECM) of the
vehicle with the help of a
standard J-bus connection in compliance with FMCSA
regulations. For all dispatch-
to-driver and driver-to-
dispatch communications
and all stored and free form
text messages, NET 960CE-X MDT is used. The entire HOS
data including all
information about the
vehicle, driver, shipper,
trailer, date, time, driver
status and even the "total time driving since last
qualified rest" is captured,
correlated and archived as a
permanent electronic log.
With this facility, there is no
need for any paperwork. In-cab communications have
reached a high standard of
operations with 960 CE-X
MDT and HOS by improving
dispatch and overall fleet
efficiency. The hours of service log has been certified
as being compliant with
Federal 395 FMCSA HOS rules
and other rules such as
property carrying
commercial vehicle rules, short haul exception rules,
passenger carrying
commercial motor vehicle
rules, specific state based
rules, adverse driving
condition rule, oilfield operation 24hr reset rule,
16hr on duty exemption rule
and industrial driver rules
(24hr reset). Reports on each driver's HOS
metrics in various categories
are also available. These
include the DOT HOS report,
Driver available Hours report,
Driver available hours next day, Driver log summary,
driver violations report and
HOS violation exception
report. It is essential to contact an
online agency that provides
the above facilities for
utilizing the hours of service
log in order to facilitate fleet
tracking and for optimum utilization of the drivers. For a profitable transport
business, it is essential to
have optimum driver
utilization which is possible
by using electronic hours of service log which is provided by online agencies. It
eliminates paperwork and
human errors and also
complies with government
regulations. Article Source: http:// EzineArticles.com/?
expert=Lindsey_Keller