Blue Ink Technology
Less Paperwork, More Driving
There has been a lot of talk about revising Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, especially since the ELD mandate took effect and highlighted a lot of shortcomings in the current rules. The FMCSA is considering what changes to make, and has scheduled a public listening session to hear the concerns of interested parties.
The Adverse Conditions exception to Hours of Service regulations is pretty vague. On the one hand, that's good because drivers need some flexibility in claiming it. On the other hand, it leaves a lot of room for interpretation by law enforcement.
Although many states are headed toward ELD requirements for intrastate drivers, it's not fast enough for the Trucking Alliance.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied an electronic logging exemption request made by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.
Many people thought the Ag exception could only be used when transporting goods, but it now clearly covers both legs of a round trip within the 150 air-mile radius, “regardless of whether the CMV is loaded or empty”.
Last week the FMCSA released new guidance to clarify and expand the use of a CMV for Personal Conveyance. Here's an overview of what's changed
The people behind Blue Ink Technology’s no-monthly-fee BIT ELD have custom-designed a version of its hardware-purchase-only device — paired with freeware operable on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets — for light- and medium-duty trucks with OBDII-type in-cab portals to the vehicles’ electronic control modules.
An amendment brought to a 2018 appropriations package to stall the electronic logging device mandate’s enforcement date for at least 10 months was defeated in a vote on the House floor late Wednesday night.
Blue Ink Technology has announced that it is offering an electronic logging device solution with a smart device app, online portal, and device that plugs into a truck’s diagnostic port.
Blue Ink Technology’s new BIT ELD is one of the very few devices on the market to adopt an unconventional pricing model: no ongoing monthly fees. You buy the device itself for $295, pay for it once, and that’s it. No contract or monthly costs. This is very appealing for independent drivers and small fleets hoping to avoid the ongoing service plans required by most electronic log vendors.
As the ELD mandate looms over drivers, several companies and pieces of technology have offered solutions to make the obligatory shift easier for drivers. Some solutions, however, are targeting the segment of drivers that may be reticent to embrace technology with 6 months until the compliance as they would rather wait until December. Blue Ink Technology is offering a FMCSA-registered app that allows drivers to become ELD compliant without the numerous auxiliary features that other ELD devices and services may offer.
A couple of items I know about 9 out of 10 of you probably don’t want to hear about, but nonetheless, provided nothing changes between now and December, the ELD final rule goes in force, in which case you’re going to need something.