Is instruction card required for AOBRD's or just ELD's?

Sounds like your company is using ELD's and not AOBR's. I already posted the regs for required documentation for AOBR's, here is the regs for ELD's.

(h) In-vehicle information. A motor carrier must ensure that its drivers possess onboard a commercial motor vehicle an ELD information packet containing the following items:

(1) A user's manual for the driver describing how to operate the ELD;

(2) An instruction sheet for the driver describing the data transfer mechanisms supported by the ELD and step-by-step instructions for the driver to produce and transfer the driver's hours-of-service records to an authorized safety official;

(3) An instruction sheet for the driver describing ELD malfunction reporting requirements and recordkeeping procedures during ELD malfunctions; and

(4) A supply of blank driver's records of duty status graph-grids sufficient to record the driver's duty status and other related information for a minimum of 8 days.


So if they got a ticket for no user manual, the officer cited under ELD rules. If, in fact, the driver is using an AOBR the ticket can be fought successfully. Now if the truck had an ELD with no user manual then yes, the ticket is valid.

One thing to point out, is the required documents can be in electronic form on the device. Of course the company would have to actually provide training on the fact it's there and how to retrieve it, and that's never going to happen....

Can the ELD information packet be in electronic form?
Yes. The user's manual, instruction sheet, and malfunction instruction sheet can be in electronic form. This is in accordance with the federal register titled "Regulatory Guidance Concerning Electronic Signatures and Documents" (76 FR 411).