EOBR options for older trucks

its not eld compliant without ecm hookup of some type

 

I got an email from Rand mcnally the other, they have a second box that ties to the truck, and makes the gps head unit ELD-compliant.

 

because the second box ties into thr data port of the ecm, they sell that unit at truckstops.

 

I guess in all of this, it is worrying about something that no one has any major answers to. There may be a solution, there may be an exemption, who knows. I am beginning to wonder if those who have a dog in this hunt, i.e. a pre-ECM engine, are not just letting their paranoia getting the better of them. It is similar to those worrying about if some global cabal is running things and we are all going to be reduced to slave labor. Something will be sorted out, and they are not going to demand that every truck that does not have an ECM be scrapped and replaced with an ECM equipped engine powered truck. The amount of pre-ECM engines still running around hauling freight that would even be subject to ELD's is so small, I would bet the powers that be just make an exemption on the equipment side of things and rely on something that can just GPS the location of the truck.

I am not sure why the FMCSA seems all fired concerned about whether a record is made of when a truck starts or the hours on the engine. It really doesn't affect anything. If a person starts a truck and lets it idle for 10 hours, how would that mean anything regarding HOS? Just whether it moves. Either way, some folks are just getting their shorts in a wad worrying too much about it.

 

I'm awaiting the news on this too. I run an 88 mack which has a cable running the tach and the speedometer so no tapping into sensors.

 

I've read FMCSA doesn't accept GPS or tablet/smartphone solutions because there are still areas of the country that don't have signals. Not sure what you can do with a mechanical engine/no ecm. Good question

 

The cadac system doesn't require an ecm but they've been obsolete for years. Where I use to work they had them in the late eights until 2000 and the first trucks they where on was a 79 cl9000 Ford

 

Check out Roadlog (made by the same company that makes Continental tires). It can connect to any vehicle, including old vehicles, with the "open wire direct" cable.
http://www.partdeal.com/gauges/roadlog.html

 

Depends on the system, and the way it is set up, on ours (XATA) I can retrieve idle time, hard brake incidents, rollover warnings, over speed, cruise percentage, MPG, driver performance, IFTA miles for each state, plus all driver logging times, plus some other crap.

Basically we just use the logging portion, GPS data, IFTA data, and MPG, I don't look at driver performance data unless there is a reason, ie, poor mileage, frequent stops, speeding ticket, premature brake/tire wear etc.