Dry-van carriers need dependable HOS records across pickup, detention, drop-and-hook, relay, and delivery workflows, with clean driver and tractor assignment at every handoff.
What this means for your fleet
Watch for missed logins after tractor swaps, missing context for detention, unassigned driving after maintenance or yard work, and dispatch plans that overlook available hours.
Example to try with your fleet
Two drivers share a tractor during a drop-and-hook relay. At each handoff, check the login, assigned tractor, available hours, data-transfer capability, and any unidentified driving or detention notes. Compare both drivers’ records with the tractor’s event history and resolve discrepancies.
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. Standardize tractor handoff | Retain outgoing/incoming driver, tractor/VIN, trailer, device, account, handoff time, login/logout, assignment result, defect, and acceptance. |
| 2. Review unassigned driving daily | Preserve the original event and check its time, location, tractor, and login. Use dispatch or maintenance records to investigate it, then record the driver’s response and the final assignment or explanation. |
| 3. Capture detention context | Attach appointment, arrival/departure, dock and loading timestamps, messages, actual duty statuses, annotations, delay owner, and review result. |
| 4. Integrate dispatch with read/write controls | Keep integration fields, direction, source of record, read/write permissions, test payload, retry/conflict behavior, audit history, and daily reconciliation. |
| 5. Practice roadside data transfer | Use the required in-cab instructions and the installed device’s supported transfer method. Record the date range, routing information, and transfer result. Practice the documented fallback and repeat the exercise after correcting errors. |
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.
- Reviewing unidentified driving — 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.