Drivers should review and certify each 24-hour ELD record for completeness and accuracy. Certification does not erase later corrections: edits remain part of the record, and carrier-proposed changes need driver review rather than silent acceptance.
What this means for your fleet
Build certification into the end-of-day and payroll workflow, with a queue for missing records, carrier-proposed edits, and rejected changes. Measure overdue certifications without pressuring drivers to certify known inaccuracies.
End-of-day certification sequence
- Open the complete 24-hour record and confirm the date, driver, carrier, vehicle, co-driver, shipping reference, and locations.
- Compare driving events with the trip and identify any unidentified driving assigned to the vehicle.
- Verify each non-driving duty status and add a factual annotation where the reason would otherwise be unclear.
- Review every original event and proposed edit; accept or reject carrier suggestions rather than allowing a silent change.
- Make corrections using the installed ELD’s procedure, preserving the original record and the reason for each change.
- Certify the complete day, then confirm the certification is visible in the retained record.
Example: a carrier proposes changing 35 minutes from off duty to on duty not driving for unloading. The driver compares the dispatch and actual activity, accepts only if accurate, records the reason, and then certifies. The original event remains in the history.
What to check
| Check | How to verify |
|---|---|
| 1. Review duty statuses and locations | Retain the complete 24-hour record with every status, timestamp, location, vehicle, assignment, gap, and review result. |
| 2. Resolve or annotate missing context | Keep each missing or ambiguous event, supporting context, specific annotation or unresolved exception, owner, and final disposition. |
| 3. Review proposed edits | Save original and proposed values, edit reason/evidence, carrier actor, driver notification, acceptance or rejection, timestamps, and audit history. |
| 4. Certify the complete day | Keep the final reviewed day, driver identity, certification action, certification timestamp/state, unresolved exception, and confirmation screen. |
| 5. Retain later edit history | Retrieve later edits with original values, reasons, actors, driver responses, recertification state, timestamps, audit history, and retained export. |
Common failure modes
- Bulk-certifying without review.
- Having an administrator certify for a driver.
- Changing a record after certification without the audit trail.
Limits and exceptions
Use this guide to plan your checks; it does not determine whether a legal exception applies, certify a record, or guarantee compliance, safety, savings, or audit results. Preserve original ELD records and edit history. Use the current rules to determine applicability and the manual for your installed device for operating instructions.
Sources and review date
Reviewed August 10, 2026. Check the latest rules and product information before changing your procedures or signing a contract.
- Editing, annotation, certification, and original-record preservation — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- FMCSA ELD resources for carriers and drivers — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
- Factor ELD products, plans, and support — Factor ELD.