Auto-transport fleets need an ELD workflow that fits multi-stop vehicle loading, yard movement, damage documentation, shared terminals, and driver changes without confusing operational events with duty status.
What this means for your fleet
Map pickup, inspection, loading, securement, transit, delivery, and yard movement. Require explicit annotations for unusual delays and control vehicle assignment when drivers swap tractors or use shared devices.
Example to try with your fleet
A driver picks up vehicles at three lots, inspects, loads and secures them, enters a port yard, swaps tractors, and completes delivery. Check the duty status for each activity, authorization for yard moves, and the driver’s assignment after the tractor swap. Review the final record for a roadside inspection. Keep damage photos as operational documentation; they do not replace the ELD record.
What to check
Use these checks before buying or setting up an ELD. Record the results and resolve any problems before rollout.
| Check | How to verify |
|---|---|
| 1. Test multi-stop route workflow | Retain the multi-stop plan, appointment windows, loading and inspection events, tractor/trailer assignments, route changes, duty-status decisions, and final result. |
| 2. Control yard-move policy | Keep the carrier's yard-move authorization, facility boundary, start/end locations, movement purpose, selected category, annotation, and first public-road event. |
| 3. Verify tractor and driver assignment | Save the named driver login, tractor/VIN, trailer or load assignment, device/app versions, handoff time, mismatch correction, and acceptance result. |
| 4. Integrate dispatch without overwriting logs | Document the dispatch field map and one route test proving messages and assignments transfer without changing original ELD events, edits, or certifications. |
| 5. Prepare roadside transfer | Archive the requested record range, transfer method, routing entry, receipt or displayed result, failed branch, driver response, defect, and retest. |
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.
- FMCSA guidance on recording hours of service — 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.
Try the ELD on a typical route
Tell us about your truck, phone, route, and a task you want to test. Request a Factor ELD demo to see how the product works. Your fleet remains responsible for deciding which rules apply.