Minneapolis—July 1, 2012—A new bill adopted by the U.S. Congress requires the use of electronic logging devices to track hours of service for all carriers that are required to file a record of duty status (RODS). Part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the bill authorizes longer term funding for highway improvement projects as well as introducing a number of safety related provisions to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities on the country’s roadways. As a result of the new legislation, Xata Corp., a provider of fleet optimization software and low-cost electronic logging device solutions, is providing free resources, tools and the latest news on the new legislation at www.EOBR.com to ensure that carriers and independent drivers understand and comply with the new legislation.
“Passing this bill is great news for the U.S. economy and will bring much needed job creation,” said Jay Coughlan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Xata Corp. “This new legislation will also impact carriers of all sizes and affect everyone from owners to dispatchers to drivers. This is the largest piece of legislation in the industry in recent history and we’re prepared to help carriers adjust to this new reality.”
The new legislation means that for anyone keeping paper log books today for RODS, they are required to utilize a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) certified electronic logging device beginning two years after the final rule is released from the FMCSA. The FMCSA will be required to create a regulation within one year.
“The support available on www.EOBR.com is the latest example of Xata’s ongoing commitment to making compliance easy and affordable for fleets of all sizes and independent owner-operators,” said Coughlan. “And Xata Turnpike provides a low-cost, 395.15-certified solution that’s easy to install and uses the power of a driver’s existing cell phone, tablet computer or rugged handheld. There’s no expensive hardware to buy, no holes to drill in your truck and no long-term contracts to sign.”
Xata Turnpike, the company’s EOBR/electronic logging device mobile solution, helps fleets and owner-operators automate and simplify the fleet management process to improve safety and compliance, reduce operations costs and improve customer satisfaction. Additional return on investment (ROI), gained as a result of using the solution, include paperwork savings; increased drive time; and operational savings from performance management tools.
Xata assisted the FMCSA Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) EOBR task force in developing technical specifications for the regulation. The FMCSA’s final rule will take into consideration the technical specifications provided by the MCSAC EOBR task force required for EOBR/electronic logging device manufacturers to build compliant systems. Since the MCSAC recommendations were made, there have been identified criteria in the final MAP 21 bill language that could require some additional review for implementation once the final regulatory Notice of Proposed Rule Making is released. As any additional changes are made to the final language, Xata will be providing updated information through www.EOBR.com.
“Xata Turnpike is a software-as-a-service solution, meaning it can be updated anywhere, anytime so it remains compliant at no additional cost to our customers, even in the face of the new legislation,” said Coughlan. “And carriers and owner-operators can reap the benefits of EOBRs and fleet management solutions now rather than waiting for three years. For example, we work with more than 1,500 companies that have voluntarily adopted electronic logging devices through Xata Turnpike, with proven improvements in compliance with hours of service regulations, as well as saving time and money.”
