Technology & Telematics · Driver Training VideoUsing Your ELD App

The ELD isn't there to catch you. It's there to record exactly what already happened — so learn the app before your first real shift, not during a roadside inspection.

Start of day: log in, select your vehicle, and confirm the odometer and truck number match what's in front of you. A mismatch here follows you for the whole shift, so fix it before you move, not after.

Duty status is the core of the app — usually four buttons: off duty, sleeper berth, driving, and on-duty not driving. The app switches you to driving automatically once the wheels roll above a set speed, but you still have to set every other status yourself.

Know your unassigned driving events

If the truck moves without a driver logged in — a yard move, someone else behind the wheel — the ELD records it as unassigned time. At your next login, the app will ask you to claim it or certify it isn't yours.

Personal conveyance moves the truck without counting against your clock, but only for personal reasons — not one inch toward a shipper or receiver. Select it before you move, not after you've already started driving, and be ready to explain the trip if you're asked.

Certify your log every single day, even on a day off. An uncertified log is a violation on its own, and log violations are one of the fastest ways to turn a routine inspection into a bad one.

Malfunctions happen

If the app shows a malfunction icon, don't panic and don't ignore it — note the malfunction, tell your safety department right away, and switch to paper logs. Rebuild the last seven days on paper if you can't pull them up, and stay on paper until it's fixed.

At a roadside inspection, hand the officer your login screen or use the app's data transfer function — don't hand over your personal phone unlocked to everything else on it.