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Q&A: PeopleNet addresses FMSCA’s ELD waiver

Feb. 2, 2018
FMCSA has granted a waiver that gives PeopleNet customers who integrate their existing AOBRDs to fleet management and safety systems until March 18.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted a waiver that gives PeopleNet customers who integrate their existing AOBRDs (automatic onboard recording devices) to fleet management and safety systems until March 18, 2018, to continue installing ELD-compatible devices running AOBRD software on any truck added to their fleet. To provide clarity on this topic, PeopleNet has shared the following frequently asked questions:

Q: Why did the FMCSA grant a waiver for some PeopleNet customers?

A: This is an unprecedented time in our industry’s history, and as a pioneer in providing safety and compliance solutions, we want to make our customers’ transition to ELDs as seamless as possible. Our top priority at PeopleNet is and always will be to ensure that enabling safer fleets should be simple, not burdensome. The limited three-month waiver allows a more flexible transition for our customers from AOBRD to ELD software. It is also important to note that PeopleNet’s eDriver Logs solution is registered with the FMCSA and remains self-certified and fully compliant with the ELD mandate.

Q: Why do some PeopleNet customers need a waiver?

A: With the ELD mandate now more than a month old, many fleets are still interpreting the complexities of the final rule, particularly as it relates to the grandfather clause. We stand behind our customers and in this case agreed that the grandfather clause was not flexible enough to cover the operational complexities of the fleets we serve. As the FMCSA waiver notes, the PeopleNet system “achieve(s) a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained in the absence of the waiver,” including capturing driver duty status and monitoring the real-time status of driver’s hours-of-service compliance.

We fully acknowledge that the transition to ELDs is posing challenges for some fleets. This waiver provides PeopleNet customers with even more flexibility and time. PeopleNet is committed to facilitating a transition that minimizes disruption and supports giving fleets, especially those with business-critical back office integrations, more flexibility in the transition. The waiver also allows customers to implement a holistic compliance platform that will better meet their long-term needs.

Q: How is PeopleNet addressing customers’ long-term needs and success?

A: Last year’s acquisition of ISE was the first step of our long-term strategy to build a new, future-proof platform for hours of service (HOS) data collection and compliance.

By incorporating the ISE eFleetSuite solution into our eDriver Logs platform, we can leverage an industry-leading ELD solution, powered by an Android operating system that also incorporates other compliance features like DVIR.

While this transition may cause some difficulties in the short-term, our decision to completely change how we capture HOS data will give us the ability to be more agile in introducing new solutions in the months and years to come, which will greatly benefit fleets by improving safety and efficiency.

We do not want to build solutions just for today; our focus is looking at what is next on the technological landscape and developing an ecosystem that our customers can leverage well into the future, beyond the ELD mandate.

We have already done some of this, including future-proofing our Android platform to come standard with 4G LTE connectivity, far ahead of the rest of the market, in anticipation of the scheduled 2019 CDMA sunset. We also have reconfigured our platform to address the continued need for more certified consumer-grade devices. The platform that we are continuously developing anticipates these market needs and will continue to deliver an unparalleled experience for our users.

Q: What does the FMCSA 90-day waiver mean for PeopleNet customers in the short-term?

A: As the mandate states, fleets that use AOBRDs today have an additional two years to implement ELDs. However, per the grandfather clause, if a fleet were to add any trucks in those two years, they must use an ELD, not an AOBRD. This scenario of a “mixed fleet” — consisting of both AOBRDs and ELDs — can pose safety and operational challenges, both for drivers as well as critical back office integrations.

The FMCSA waiver gives our customers who integrate their existing AOBRDs to fleet management and safety systems up to three months, until March 18, 2018, to continue to install ELD-compatible devices running AOBRD software on any truck added to their fleet. This additional time gives our customers the ability to ensure their ELD data can seamlessly integrate with other back office software. These system-to-system integrations include dispatch, fleet maintenance, payroll and safety software.

This waiver allows fleets to continue to purchase ELD-ready hardware devices and operate them on AOBRD software until March 18, 2018. This also means that if a customer that qualifies for the waiver adds a new vehicle to their fleet between now and March 18 and installs it as AOBRD, that unit will be able to continue to function as an AOBRD until December 18, 2019.

Q: Why has the FMCSA published a notice of application for exemption and request for comments?

A: Since, by law, an FMCSA waiver is only good for 90 days, an exemption request has been filed with FMCSA that seeks to extend the waiver for another nine months (from March 18 - December 18, 2018). If granted, this exemption request would apply to all PeopleNet customers who integrate their existing AOBRDs to fleet management and safety systems.

The FMCSA has published a “Notice of application for exemption; request for comments” to seek comments on whether the Agency should grant this exemption request. Comments are due no later than March 1, 2018. If granted, this ELD-related exemption will also apply to other carriers who are in a similar situation.

Q: What is PeopleNet doing to support its customers through the transition?

A: As mentioned above, this is undoubtedly a challenging time for some customers and PeopleNet’s top priority is to ensure customers’ transition to ELDs is as seamless as possible. PeopleNet has dedicated resources to helping customers through the transition.

Eric Witty, PeopleNet vice president, product management, said: “Our top priority at PeopleNet is and always will be to ensure that enabling safer, more efficient fleets should be as simple as possible. We stand behind our customers, and the limited three-month waiver allows a more flexible, seamless transition from AOBRD to ELD software. We are confident that any current challenges will be short-lived as we continue to look ahead past the ELD mandate and build out the PeopleNet platform to meet our customers’ larger long-term needs. We will continue to put our customers first as we evolve the platform and invest in their future success.”

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