GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Teletrac Inc., a 25-year veteran award-winning GPS fleet tracking and telematics software provider, is happy to announce that its long-running hours of service (HOS) software solution will be fully compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) final rule beginning July 2013.
Teletrac’s all-inclusive solution will meet new FMCSA regulations by providing tools to easily measure restart time and rest breaks.
The Teletrac HOS system monitors the driver’s accumulated “on-duty” and “driving hours” in real-time. Driver rest periods are recorded as soon as a user’s status changes to “off-duty.” For accumulated rest hours to qualify as a 34-hour reset, the rest period must include two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., using the driver’s home terminal time-zone.
When the driver logs back into the Teletrac HOS system, if their rest period qualifies for the 34-hour reset, they are given the option of using the rest period to reset their 7 or 8 day cycle. Per the regulation, if the accumulated rest time is 34 hours or greater but does not include the two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., or the driver has already reset their cycle in the last 7 days, the driver is not given the option to use the rest period as a cycle reset. Pending and actual violation messages can optionally be presented to the fleet manager or dispatcher in a number of ways: through pop-up warnings on Fleet Director, email or SMS messages.
While scheduled compliance changes are set to go into effect July 1, there are roadblocks facing the passage of the new regulations. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) claims the changes may put arduous restrictions on driver’s abilities to manage their schedules.
“The existing rules have a proven track record, and the agency’s purported reasons for tinkering with them were baseless,” said ATA General Counsel Prasad Sharma. “We’re hopeful the judges will see through the agency’s mere pleas for deference and after-the-fact explanations for a rule that was agenda-driven rather than evidence-based.”
The FMCSA and Department of Transportation (DOT) are insisting that the proposed regulations are supported by scientific research on driver health. "This final rule is the culmination of the most extensive and transparent public outreach effort in our agency's history," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "We carefully crafted a rule acknowledging that when truckers are rested, alert and focused on safety, it makes our roadways safer." Despite minor resistance from some trucking advocates, all signs are pointing to the final rule’s passage.
Teletrac has proudly led the industry space by meeting the demand for an enriched HOS solution that is 100% compliant with an added level of usability and utility. “Our HOS solution will continue to meet all compliance regulations as the FMCSA phases through new rules that aid driver safety,” said Tony Eales, Chief Executive Officer, Teletrac. “Fleet safety is paramount to Teletrac’s mission. Championing compliance has an added benefit of lower operational costs and amplified safety levels. Teletrac’s integrated HOS software keeps fleets compliant while curbing hazardous driving behavior and assuring high levels of productivity.”
Teletrac’s HOS compliance updates are an enhancement to Teletrac’s Fleet Director software platform, which utilizes tracking data to help reduce company costs and promote safety, compliance and productivity.