Field Warrior® ELD Registered and Approved by FMCSA – Now What?

It’s been a while since we talked about our ELD solution. December 18^th is only a few weeks away now, so it’s time for another update.

Is Forward Thinking’s ELD registered with the FMCSA?

Yes! Since our last ELD status update, we’ve been hard at work fine-tuning, testing, and gearing up for the final product release. We created an excellent user guide that’s full of helpful information and screenshots. And we completed the required ELD certification process, earning a spot on the FMCSA’s list of registered ELDs.

So now what?

Current Customers

We built our ELD solution into Field Warrior®, so switching to ELDs will be simple.

If you need or want to switch to ELDs to meet the December deadline, you’ll need to install the new Field Warrior® ELD app. The app will initially be available for Android and Garmin fleet™ series tablets, with iOS coming soon.

If you’re already using Field Warrior® as an AOBRD, you aren’t required to meet the December 2017 deadline. Your AOBRDs are “grandfathered” in and you have until December 2019 to switch to ELDs (more on this below). In this case, we recommend that you continue using AOBRD (Field Warrior® or Garmin) in the meantime and prepare to switch to ELDs at your own pace.

BYOD (bring your own device)

Unlike current AOBRD regulations, the ELD Mandate requires ELDs to have a direct connection to the vehicle’s ECM (electronic control module). Field Warrior® ELD meets this requirement with the FTS Link cable that provides a secure and reliable connection to the vehicle. The cable also powers the ELD and keeps it fully charged.

The FTS Link cable gives you a simple way to turn your existing Android devices into compliant ELDs, thereby avoiding the need to buy expensive specialized ELD hardware.

Garmin fleet™ 6XX and 7XX

Garmin fleet™ tablets use an FMI cable to connect to the vehicle’s ECM, so they already have the required connection. If your fleet uses one of these Garmin tablets, you will only need to install the new Field Warrior® ELD app to turn them into compliant ELDs.

Note: If you’re currently using Garmin’s HOS (Hours of Service) feature for electronic logbooks instead of Field Warrior®, you will need to install Field Warrior® ELD on your devices to become compliant. Garmin does not plan to update their native HOS feature to meet ELD standards. The Field Warrior® ELD app is a free upgrade for customers utilizing Garmin HOS / AOBRD.

Grandfathered AOBRDs

The ELD Mandate’s “grandfather” clause allows you to keep your existing AOBRDs until December 2019, as long as the AOBRD was installed and in use before the December 18, 2017 deadline. After December 18, no one can purchase and install a new AOBRD.

What does that mean? If you replace an AOBRD-equipped vehicle in your fleet with a new vehicle after December 18, 2017, you are allowed to install the AOBRD into the new vehicle. However, if you add a vehicle that expands the size of your fleet, you must install an approved ELD into that vehicle.