The Owner-Operator ELD Guide

Own authority or leased on: who supplies the ELD

The ELD rule puts the duty on the motor carrier. Under 49 CFR 395.8, the carrier must require each of its drivers to record duty status on an ELD unless an exception applies. So the first question is whose carrier you are.

• Your own authority. You are the motor carrier. You choose the ELD, keep the records, and answer for them at a roadside inspection or a safety audit.
• Leased on to a carrier. You haul under the carrier's authority, and the carrier is responsible for your hours of service records. Most carriers want every leased driver on their own ELD so they can see and keep the logs. Check your lease agreement and ask the safety department before you buy anything.

If you plan to get your own authority soon, see the new authority ELD guide. Running a truck that may qualify for an exception, such as one made before model year 2000? Read the ELD exemptions guide first.

What one truck costs

With a new PT-40, one truck costs $149 once plus $20 a month. That is $389 for year one and $869 over three years, on a simple 12-month basis. The first 14 days of service are free, so the real first-year number is a little lower. If you already own a Pacific Track PT-30 or PT-40, skip the hardware and pay $240 a year.

No contract means no buyout if you sell the truck, lease on to a carrier, or take a winter off. Full breakdown on the ELD cost page.

Setup for a one-truck operation

1. Order the PT-40. It ships free. Your 14-day service trial runs alongside.
2. Install it. The PT-40 plugs into the truck's diagnostic port. Heavy-duty trucks use a 9-pin or 6-pin port, and adapter cables are available for Volvo, Mack, and Peterbilt. Steps are in the PT-40 installation guide.
3. Load the driver app. Log in on your phone or tablet and connect to the device.
4. Put the cab packet in the truck. The rules call for a data transfer instruction sheet, a malfunction instruction sheet, and at least 8 days of blank paper log grids. See the ELD cab card guide.
5. Practice Inspection Mode once. Know where the Send button is before an officer asks for it.

Brokers and load tracking

Brokers want to see where the truck is. Many will not tender a load until your carrier profile is verified and tracking is connected. DocuDrive is a connected ELD provider on Highway and Trucker Tools. In either platform, select DocuDrive as your ELD and authorize the connection.

The device matters here too. A PT-30 gets location from your phone. If the phone dies at a shipper or stays in the sleeper on the charger, the broker's map can go stale. The PT-40 has its own GPS and LTE connection, so the truck keeps reporting. More on that in when a broker requires an ELD.

At the scale house

When an officer asks for your logs, open Inspection Mode in the driver app. You can show the current day and the previous 7 days on screen, and tap Send to transfer the records. DocuDrive transfers logs telematically, by web services and email, which is the method registered with FMCSA for DocuDrive Logbook. Keep the instruction sheets in the cab in case the officer wants to see the steps.

If the ELD itself malfunctions, you note it, tell your carrier in writing within 24 hours (as an owner-operator, that means documenting it for your own file), and switch to the paper grids in your cab packet until it is fixed.

IFTA without the shoebox

If your truck is an IFTA-qualified vehicle running in more than one jurisdiction, you file a quarterly fuel tax return based on miles by state. The PT-40 records miles by jurisdiction automatically, and the report is in the $20. You still keep your fuel receipts. See IFTA reporting.

Hours of Service on your own

As an owner-operator, nobody in an office is watching your clock. The PT-40 logs drive time automatically from the engine, so your log matches what the truck did, and you can plan the fuel stop and the 30-minute break around an accurate clock. The limits themselves are covered in the Hours of Service guide.

You are also the carrier, so the paperwork stays with you. Keep your records of duty status and supporting documents for at least 6 months, and keep the last 7 days available to show an officer. When you are ready, order the PT-40.