ELD (Electronic Logging Device)
An Electronic Logging Device is hardware that connects to a commercial vehicle's engine to automatically record driving time, engine hours, and location, replacing paper logbooks for hours-of-service compliance under the FMCSA's ELD mandate (49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B), in force since December 2017. Devices are self-certified by their provider and registered with FMCSA, not approved by the agency.
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ELD (Electronic Logging Device) FAQ
Quick answers to the questions buyers usually ask once the category, software, or rollout details start getting more specific.
FMCSA's own rulemaking put the annualised cost of a telematics-type ELD at $419 per truck, about $35 a month, and a USB or Bluetooth-only unit at $166, about $14 a month, after cutting the assumed device purchase price from $799 to $500 (80 FR 78292, ELD final rule, 16 December 2015). Those are 2015 regulatory estimates rather than current list prices, and most major vendors publish none, Geotab sells only through resellers and lists no price, and Samsara's pricing page is a quote form.
Any motor carrier whose drivers must keep a record of duty status has had to use ELDs since 18 December 2017, and may use only a device on FMCSA's registered list. Four operations may still log on paper: drivers who complete a record of duty status on 8 or fewer days in any 30-day period, two categories of driveaway-towaway, and vehicles manufactured before model year 2000 by VIN. Short-haul drivers working within 150 air-miles of the reporting location and released within 14 hours are exempt from 395.8 entirely (49 CFR 395.8(a)(1), 395.22(a), 395.1(e)(1)).
Yes, but only if the whole system is registered. FMCSA regulates the ELD, not the screen: a phone or tablet running a vendor app counts only when that app-and-hardware combination appears on FMCSA's registered list, and the app must still link to the engine ECM on any model-year-2000-or-later truck. If the phone is the display it has to be mounted in a fixed position and visible from the normal driving position. A phone running a logging app with no ECM connection is not an ELD (49 CFR 395.22(a) and (g), Part 395 Appendix A section 4.2(b)).
Two parts. A gateway wired to the diagnostic port that links to the engine ECM and reads power status, motion, odometer and engine hours over serial or CAN, on a diesel that connector follows SAE J1939-13. Plus a display: either a fixed in-cab screen or a phone or tablet, which if portable must be mounted in a fixed position and visible to the seated driver. There is no mandated form factor; FMCSA certifies function, not appearance (49 CFR 395.22(g), Part 395 Appendix A section 4.2(b)).