PIT Group, an engineering and research group for the North American trucking industry, has announced plans to offer testing and verification of electronic driver log systems. The independent, unbiased testing will follow the latest version of the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Test Plan and Procedures issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
“In advance of the ELD mandate in the United States, a growing number of suppliers are self-certifying ELDs,” said Yves Provencher, director of the PIT Group. “But suppliers that come to us for ELD verification will differentiate themselves in the market because our testing is thorough and unbiased, and it will cover the most up to date requirements in the ELD rule.
“An ELD provider that has a certificate of verification from the PIT Group can provide its fleet and driver customers with the assurance that their product has been independently verified. PIT Group’s expertise in testing ELDs can also benefit trucking companies by helping ensure that company drivers and owner-operators are only using a fully verified ELD.”
PIT Group testing for ELD verification will follow FMCSA’s ELD Test Plan and Procedures related to the US ELD rule, including but not limited to Chapter 1: User Accounts, Inputs and Vehicle Interface; Chapter 2: Data Processing, Monitoring and Recording, and Chapter 3: Outputs and Data Transfer.
In addition to the FMCSA ELD functional requirements, PIT Group will also perform an operational evaluation for vehicle interface, mobile ELD units; driver interface and operation; back office application (motor carrier), and roadside enforcement.
EROAD, a provider of transport technology and services, including automated solutions to manage and pay road user charges, to meet regulatory and compliance obligations, and to provide a range of commercial services, announced it will be the first supplier to provide the PIT Group with an ELD solution for independent testing and verification.
Announcing the relationship, EROAD COO Jarred Clayton said, “We know how much compliance matters to our customers, which is why EROAD follows rigorous internal testing procedures and protocols for our tax and compliance solutions. We are going one step further by adding PIT Group’s independent testing and verification to assure carriers that the ELD they have chosen is best in class and compliant.”
Under FMCSA regulations requiring the use of Electronic Logging Devices, fleets have until December 2017 to implement certified ELDs. Carriers already using ELDs have until December 2019 to ensure compliance.
PIT Group is also a key player in the development of a similar Canadian ELD standard. “PIT Group knows the trucking industry and the best technologies that support it,” said Benoit Vincent, senior researcher at the PIT Group. “Our extensive knowledge of the US ELD rule and our new testing and verification program will be valuable to ELD suppliers, fleets, and the authorities finalizing upcoming ELD regulations in Canada.”