ELD Mandate

Definition

The ELD Mandate is the FMCSA rule under 49 CFR §395.8 requiring every CMV driver subject to the federal HOS rules to record duty status through an electronic logging device. Effective dates phased in: December 2017 for AOBRDs and paper logs to switch to ELDs, December 2019 for full elimination of grandfathered AOBRDs. Limited exemptions remain (49 CFR §395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A)): drivers who keep logs on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period; driveaway-towaway operations where the vehicle driven is the shipment (or a motor home/RV trailer); vehicles manufactured before model year 2000, including a later-VIN vehicle whose engine predates model year 2000 (FMCSA guidance FAQ020; the carrier keeps the engine records); and short-haul drivers under §395.1(e). The ELD must be self-certified to the FMCSA technical specification and registered on the FMCSA ELD Approved List. The cab must carry the data-transfer and malfunction instruction sheets and at least 8 days of blank paper logs (49 CFR §395.22(h)); separately, the driver must be able to show the current day plus the previous 7 days (§395.8(k)(2)).