We sat down with one of our keynote speakers Bill Mahorney, Chief, Enforcement Division, FMCSA, Department of Transportation. As one of the key players responsible for enforcing the ELD Mandate, Bill will be addressing how this new law will affect the supply chain, logging books, hours of service regulations and cross-industry collaboration. To give you a sneak peek as to what you can expect to hear about onsite, we sat down with Bill to discuss what the ELD Mandate is and how it impacts the supply chain.

Below is a preview of the interview:

First and foremost, what is the ELD mandate?

"In a nutshell, the electronic logging device (ELD) rule [which was congressionally mandated as a part of MAP-21] is intended to help create a safer work environment for drivers as well as make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage, and share records of duty status (RODS) data. An ELD synchronizes with a vehicle engine to automatically record driving time, for easier, more accurate hours of service (HOS) recording. As a result of the ELD mandate, folks that used to use a logbook are now, as of December 2017, required to use an electronic logging device to ensure your hours of service are accurately recorded."

How does the ELD Mandate Affect the Cold Chain?

"We're talking about a device that is much more precise than an old fashioned logbook. Previously people could fudge here and there. Basically falsify and extend their day.

So, for example, if driver has to wait at a shipper location or got stuck because the shipper wasn't ready for them one way or the other, then they would not necessarily show that on their paper logbook. However, since an electronic logging device automatically records drive time and hours of service (HOS), in addition to being much more precise, it also cannot be manipulated by the driver or the carrier. 

For the most part, the ELD will change things in a good way when it comes to the supply chain. The precision of the ELDs is gong to require shippers the carriers to work more closely together to make sure that time is not wasted and that the supply chain is efficient as it can be. ELDs will enable drivers to more efficiently move in and out of the shipper's location either on the front end or the back end and maximize their hours of service while keeping the goods moving properly."

Download the full interview with Bill Mahorney below

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