Rand McNally ELD-50 - Are we the only ones having issues?

Throw that pos away. I'm surprised there's no class action lawsuit against RM for defective product. They shouldn't be selling this carp at all truck stops

 

DOT Officer pulled me over in OH and told me that they have had a lot of drivers with ELD 50 issues and that fmcsa was working on removing them from the approved ELD list

 

I don't deal with RM and haven't heard a lot of good things about it. But, I see a ton of drivers making the same mistakes. I'm guessing, you're using the ELD50 with a phone. If so, here's the scenario... You come to your final stop, turn the truck off, gather your stuff, put the phone in your pocket and leave the vehicle within 6 minutes. If you didn't change your status (prior to leaving the vehicle) you have now severed the bluetooth connection, between your mobile device and the ELD. Not only will the application NOT transition to OnDuty Not Driving (since the last message received is "Driving"), but you will also not get an "Ending Odometer" or "Ending Engine Hours."
I typically instruct my customers to interact with the application(s) EVERY TIME the lock-screen disengages, after the vehicle stops. This will help you preserve drive time (6 minute auto transition x's 10 stops = 1 hour of drive time that you left on the table). It also gets you in the habit of interacting with the "Status Change Button" regularly. Thus, lessening the likelihood that you'll forget to change your status at the end of the day.
To answer your question about an audit:
When you recognized that there was a problem, you probably should've backed yourself with a paper log. Just be sure to indicate the time and approximate location of the "Malfunction" and annotate the paper log with "ELD MALFUNCTION. Stuck in Driving Status." Then, mark yourself Off Duty in the application, disconnect from the ELD Device and Log Out of the application. Finish your cycle on paper (you have 8 days). And, last but not least. Reach out to me Because you need an ELD that actually works.

 

Yeah, a lot of problems can be addressed by doing a reset.

I found a way to "nuke" an entire day's log but I like to play by the rules. So I keep that as a final option. Usually it's when I'm troubleshooting some other issue. (Random connectivity drop for instance.)

Also, I consistently lose Bluetooth connectivity on Canal Street in Manhattan. Don't know if it's a satellite, other local signals or what, but I come across the Manhattan Bridge and by the time I get to the West Side Highway I'm dropped. It's impossible to pull over and fix it at that point so I just drive to destination (midtown) and fix it while I'm getting unloaded.

Also, I'm overdue for an update. I'm afraid if I upload the latest version, I'll lose what reliability I have now.

 

I never used the phone app only the 740 and I log off and save off duty but still when I return it says driving. Just weird .

 

Thanks everyone I’ll keep paper logs just in case

 

Hmmm. Sounds like a design flaw. The 740 probably isn't a powerful enough device, to handle the ELD & All the other features at the same time (pretty common). It's probably "robbing" power from the Bluetooth, to power all the other stuff. Which could be causing the connection interruptions. It SHOULD be reacquiring that signal faster though. You've definitely got "a problem child" on your hands.

 

ProTip: Do NOT use your phone!

Get the cheapest tablet you can find that will run the software and use it dedicated. (Plus it's a bigger screen than a phone)

Mine paid for itself when an earlier software release with a bug in it nuked my operating system (!!!) I had to do a factory reset to get my tablet back. If that had been my phone I'd have lost everything. $60, Best Buy, Do eet!

 

Yup

 

Wow.

An endorsement from the voice of god himself?

I'm going to be insufferably pleased with myself for the next 48 hours.

I hope I can fit my swelled head under all those 13'6" bridges.