New guidance for commercial vehicle inspectors distinguishes between more traditional logbook violations and tampered ELD data that can result in mandatory 10-hour out-of-service orders.
Deborah Lockridge
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance issued new inspection guidance aimed at cracking down on falsified records of duty status (RODS, more commonly known as driver logs) and electronic logging device tampering.
The bulletin, effective April 1, outlines how inspectors should handle altered logs of driver hours of service.
The move comes ahead of CVSA’s annual Roadcheck in May (where ELDs are a focus this year) and as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been taking steps to crack down on fraudulent ELDs.
More traditional false log violations, such as misuse of personal conveyance or failure to log into the ELD, are typically easier for inspectors to detect.
If a driver is over hours at the time of inspection, CVSA explains, inspectors can usually determine how much rest was actually taken and whether the driver should be placed out of service.
ELD Tampering
More concerning, CVSA says inspectors are encountering RODS (records of duty status) that have been reengineered, reprogrammed or otherwise tampered with, and the bulk of the four-page guidance document is devoted to this topic.
These violations are harder for inspectors to identify and harder to determine whether drivers should be placed out of service.
CVSA gives an example of fraudulent use of driver credentials. A motor carrier created a fictitious ELD account using the same driver’s name but slightly altered credentials — such as changing a letter from uppercase to lowercase and modifying one digit in the CDL number.
The fraudulent use of driver credentials is an unauthorized alteration of the ELD and therefore considered tampering. This example shows a motor carrier creating a fictitious driver ELD account.
The driver alternated between the two accounts to continue driving after exceeding hours-of-service limits.
In another example cited by CVSA, a driver was shown as off duty in Tolleson, Arizona, at 9 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2024. However, a fuel receipt placed the driver in Strafford, Missouri, on Aug. 11 — more than 1,300 miles away.
Further review showed the RODS had been shifted back three days, concealing nearly 21 hours of driving time.
When Should Drivers Be Placed Out of Service for ELD Violations?
CVSA says the goal in enforcing ELD violations is to only place drivers OOS who pose an imminent hazard.
When it is possible for the inspector to determine when the falsification occurred, and the driver is not over hours at the time of inspection, CVSA tells inspectors to cite drivers under § 395.8(e)(1) and allow the driver to proceed.
How a Fake Co-Driver Led to a Fatal Crash
If this is the case and a driver is over the HOS limits at the time of inspection, however, the driver should be placed out of service until he or she is eligible to drive again under hours-of-service rules.
For drivers whose RODS have been reengineered, reprogrammed or tampered with, and the ELD does not accurately record or retain required data, inspectors face a tougher job.
These altered logs may show no indication in the event details that any changes were made.
In such cases, inspectors must compare supporting documents, such as fuel receipts, to what’s in the ELD record. Because the actual time, duration, and location of rest breaks cannot be determined, enforcement becomes more serious.
If it’s not possible for the inspector to determine when driving occurred, CVSA says, the inspector should cite a § 395.8(e)(2) violation and place the driver out of service for 10 consecutive hours.
During a roadside inspection, an authorized safety official may request the electronic logging device (ELD) output file to verify compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. The driver must be able to transfer this data electronically to the officer, typically via web services or email, for the current 24-hour period and the previous 7 consecutive days.
Key Requirements for ELD Output File Submission
- Data Contents: The output file is a standardized, raw data file containing HOS data, including duty status changes (on-duty, off-duty, driving), vehicle miles, engine hours, location, and any ELD malfunctions or diagnostic events.
- Transfer Methods: Drivers must know how to send the file via the specific method required by the officer (usually web services or email to the eRODS system).
- Inspection Procedure: If the file transfer fails, the driver must be able to display the required 8 days of logs directly on the ELD screen.
- Mandatory Documentation: Drivers must have an ELD information packet in the vehicle, which includes an instruction sheet on how to transfer this data.)
FMCSA Open Data File Explained
An FMCSA open data file is a publicly available dataset from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that contains regulated entity and safety performance information, made available at no cost through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Open Data Portal (DataHub)
What It Includes
FMCSA open data files cover a range of carrier and safety-related information, organized into categories such as:
- Entities with a USDOT Number – basic registration data for carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders.
- Entities with Operating Authority – details on active, inactive, or pending authorities.
- FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) Data – percentile safety scores, inspection counts, crash data, and out-of-service rates for all active motor carriers.
- New Entrant Safety Assurance Program – safety data for new carriers.
- Out of Service (OOS) Orders – records of carriers placed out of service
Each file comes with a data dictionary that defines the fields, data types, and meanings, so users can interpret the information correctly
How It’s Accessed
You can download these files directly from the DOT Open Data Portal at data.transportation.gov or via the FMCSA Open Data Program page. The portal also provides API access for developers.
Purpose and Benefits
The FMCSA Open Data Program aims to:
- Increase public participation in government.
- Support economic development.
- Provide decision-making tools for both public and private sectors
Example Use Cases
- Market research – analyze carrier presence and safety performance in a region.
- Risk assessment – identify carriers with high safety scores or frequent violations.
- Regulatory monitoring – track compliance and out-of-service orders.
- Industry analysis – study fleet sizes, cargo types, and authority types.
In short: An FMCSA open data file is a downloadable, structured dataset of FMCSA-regulated carrier and safety information, designed for transparency, research, and operational use.
What is a standard Eld output file?
An ELD generates a standard data file output and transfers it to an authorized safety official upon request. (e) This appendix specifies minimally required data elements that must be part of an event record such that a standard ELD output file can be produced by all compliant ELDs.
ELD File Validator
Manufacturers must ensure their ELD output file conforms to the technical specifications in the ELD rule.
What is the ELD filename standard?
If the ELD output is saved in a file for transfer or maintenance purposes, it must follow the 25 character-long filename standard. The first five position characters of the filename must correspond to the first five letters of the last name of the driver for whom the file is compiled.
Use the tool below to test your file. Using the File Validator is not a mandatory step of the self-certification process. ELD providers are encouraged to use this tool to help the self-certification process go as smoothly as possible.
Instructions
- Click on “Browse,” to select the file you want to test.
- Click “Check.”
- Review results.
- Resolve any issues.
- Repeat as necessary until validator confirms no issues.
Tips
Start Small
For your first try, use a simple output file with two or three events. This will help identify any basic issues that need resolving before more complex problems can be identified.
Check Often
The File Validator may not catch all issues on an initial run. Be sure to run your file through the validator after issues have been resolved, as this may uncover additional issues.
Note: The File Validator will only validate the technical specifications of an ELD file, not the file’s content. Compliance with FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulations will be determined by enforcement personnel’s interpretation of the data after it has successfully transferred through FMCSA’s systems.
Upload your file
vider Account.
Request a user account
Download eRODS Software
The Electronic Record of Duty Status (eRODS) software is used by safety officials to locate, open, and review output files transferred from a compliant ELD.
If you have an ELD file, you may use the web-based version of eRODS (Web eRODS) to see how the ELD file appears to safety officials in eRODS. Web eRODS does not display potential hours of service violations unless the user is a logged-in safety official.
You may also download the desktop version of eRODS (Desktop eRODS) to your computer. If you have an ELD file, you may use Desktop eRODS to see how the eRODS software identifies and displays potential hours of service violations.
Understanding the ELD Output File
An ELD output file is a standardized data export (usually in CSV or JSON format) that contains a driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS), GPS location data, event timestamps, and system logs. Safety officials use tools like FMCSA’s eRODS to review these files for inconsistencies.
Steps to Detect False or Tampered Entries
- Load the File into a Validator
- Use the official FMCSA ELD File Validator (link here) or Web eRODS.
- This will parse the file and flag formatting errors, missing data, or suspicious event sequences.
- Check for Time & Location Mismatches
- Compare event timestamps with GPS coordinates.
- Large jumps in location without enough driving time.
- Driving events recorded when the vehicle is stationary.
- Gaps in GPS data during active driving periods.
- Look for Unusual Event Patterns
- Frequent manual driving status changes (e.g., switching from “Driving” to “Off Duty” mid-trip).
- Multiple unassigned driving segments that are later reassigned to a driver.
- Sudden engine power cycles that reset the log.
- Cross-Verify with External Data
- Compare ELD data with fuel receipts, toll records, or dispatch logs.
- If the ELD shows “Off Duty” but there’s a fuel purchase hundreds of miles away, that’s suspicious.
- Check for Tampering Indicators
- Missing or altered malfunction/error codes.
- Repeated data diagnostic events that could indicate attempts to bypass tracking.
- Inconsistent odometer readings.
False entries often leave a digital fingerprint — small inconsistencies in time, distance, or event sequencing. Automated tools like eRODS highlight these, but manual review is still essential for context.
If you want, I can create a simple checklist you can use every time you review an ELD output file so you can spot falsifications faster. Would you like me to prepare that?
Traffic congestion costs the trucking industry $108B annually. From rising fuel and labor costs to driver retention challenges, traffic gridlock disrupts fleet operations. But there are strategies to keep your freight moving.
Justin Reynolds
Dreamstime.com
Sitting in traffic isn’t just frustrating. For motor carriers, it’s an expensive problem that burns fuel, eats labor costs, and results in missed delivery windows. As freight volumes grow and aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace, traffic congestion is becoming a persistent supply chain bottleneck—one that’s forcing owners to rethink the way they operate.
According to the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) 2024 Cost of Congestion report, annual trucking congestion costs soared to $108.8 billion in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, marking a 15% year-over-year increase.
With costs continuing to climb, fleets are under increasing pressure to minimize congestion impact on profit margins and uptime.
What is traffic congestion?
Traffic congestion occurs when the number of vehicles on the road at a given time and place exceeds the network’s capacity, causing drivers to slow down or stop altogether. (Putting 10 Lbs. of stuff in a 5 Lbs bag)
While congestion has long clogged highways and delayed freight, it’s become a bigger problem in the era of electronic logging devices (ELDs) and hours-of-service (HOS) mandates; if drivers can’t move, business grinds to a halt.
When it comes to traffic, Dean Croke, a former truck driver who’s now an industry analyst at DAT Freight & Analytics, says it’s important to differentiate between truck and consumer traffic.
“Consumers sit in metro traffic twice a day, but carriers also have to contend with port gates, bridges, tunnels, intermodal yards, and distribution centers,” Croke told FleetOwner. While most experienced carriers understand these chokepoints and price accordingly, he said the bigger challenge is the disruptions operators can’t plan for.
More than just a condition drivers recognize, congestion is also quantifiable.
For more than two decades, ATRI has collected truck GPS data to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Freight Mobility Initiative, which uses real-world freight movement to measure fleet performance and roadway efficiency.
According to Rebecca Brewster, president and COO of ATRI, the organization uses its unique GPS dataset to develop and monitor key performance indicators that measure congestion and gauge the nation’s freight transportation system performance over time.
Top 20 trucking bottlenecks:
- Chicago: I-294 at I-290/I-88
- Fort Lee, New Jersey: I-95 at SR 4
- Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
- Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
- Atlanta: I-75 at I-285 (North)
- Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West)
- Nashville, Tennessee: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)
- Houston: I-10 at I-69/US 59
- Cincinnati: I-71 at I-75
- McDonough, Georgia: I-75
- Dallas: I-45 at I-30
- Ontario, California: I-10 at I-15
- Houston: I-45 at I-610 (North)
- Hartford, Connecticut: I-84 at I-91
- Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (East)
- Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57
- Indianapolis: I-65 at I-70 (North)
- Washington, D.C.: I-495 (West Side)
- Nashville, Tennessee: I-40 at I-65 (East)
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: I-10 at I-110
ATRI also uses those insights to identify truck bottlenecks and measure how congestion affects freight movement across 238 locations nationwide.
“Our bottleneck analysis looks at truck speeds and truck volumes at each of the locations to identify the top 100 worst congested locations for trucks,” Brewster said. It “also provides a unique time-of-day profile for each of [those] locations, showing the best and worst time for trucks to navigate through based on congestion—a critical piece for fleets looking to minimize congestion impacts on drivers.”
ATRI’s 2026 Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks report named Chicago the most congested city in America, overtaking the New York City region. The Interstate 294 and I-290/I-88 interchange outside the Windy City is now more congested than I-95 at SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey—the George Washington Bridge—about 10 miles from Manhattan.
DAT Freight & Analytics
Traffic congestion: The real costs to fleets
Beyond lost productivity, traffic congestion also affects trucking companies in several critical ways.
- Fuel and equipment costs
Congestion increases both fuel consumption and equipment wear. Every minute a truck spends idling in traffic burns diesel without moving freight. At the same time, repeated stop-and-go conditions accelerate vehicle wear.
According to ATRI’s Cost of Congestion report, congestion causes the trucking industry to waste more than 6.4 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, costing fleet owners $32.1 billion based on 2022 data—figures that are no doubt higher in today’s environment of rising oil prices. The report also estimates that congestion adds more than $7,500 in annual wear-and-tear costs per combination truck.
- Labor costs
ATRI research shows that congestion accounts for 1.2 billion hours of lost driver productivity annually—equivalent to removing some 430,000 commercial truck drivers from the road for a full year. That lost time leads to higher labor costs, with drivers staying on the clock while covering fewer miles and making fewer deliveries.
Congestion also limits how much freight operators can move within hours-of-service constraints, further impacting operations.
“In the post-ELD world, time is the scarce resource—not miles,” Croke said. “Every unproductive hour comes off a fixed budget of driving and on-duty hours. Lose 90 minutes at a port gate and another two hours at the dock, and now your reload options are gone. The hours you can work and earn a living are compressed. You’re shutting down for the day somewhere you didn’t plan to.”
- Service and revenue impact
In addition to increasing costs, congestion degrades quality of service, frustrates customers, and cuts into the bottom line.
“Drivers sitting stuck in traffic burn available hours of service, ultimately impacting their ability to meet delivery schedules,” Brewster said. “This can potentially drive up detention time when they do reach their destination and may force those drivers to locate truck parking ahead of their planned locations due to depleted hours of service availability.”
Late deliveries can erode customer trust and influence future carrier decisions, particularly in industries where reliability is a key differentiator—like retail, manufacturing, and food distribution.
Brewster added that congestion can increase driver stress levels—sometimes to the point they consider leaving the industry instead of losing large portions of their day to traffic. In that light, congestion can also contribute to ongoing driver retention challenges.
Traffic congestion: Operational ripple effects
Congestion doesn’t just delay a single truck—it disrupts entire fleets. When a driver arrives late at one stop, that delay can cascade through the rest of the route, affecting delivery windows, dock schedules, and downstream pickups.
These disruptions also increase the workload on dispatch teams now tasked with constantly rebalancing routes, appointments, and driver hours in real time.
To keep freight moving, dispatchers have to rework plans on the fly while customers track ever-moving ETAs throughout the day.
Taken together, this unpredictability makes it harder for fleets to maintain consistent service levels—and harder for customers to trust future orders will arrive on time.
Why traditional planning is no longer enough
Traditional planning tools rely on historical averages, fixed assumptions, and so-called “typical” operating conditions. But today’s freight environment—full of dynamic congestion patterns and sudden disruptions—has made static planning far less reliable.
As route conditions shift throughout the day and lane performance changes each hour, capacity assumptions quickly fall out of sync with what’s happening on the ground.
“The bigger issue is the disruptions you can’t plan for—but even then, the market adapts pretty quickly,” Croke said. “Look at what happened when the Key Bridge came down in Baltimore in 2024. Drayage capacity had to reroute through the Fort McHenry and [Baltimore] Harbor tunnels, neither of which allows hazmat loads. Loads that used to run an hour were taking three. But the market adjusted. Rates firmed up on adjacent lanes almost immediately because the clock math had changed for every driver working that port.”
Even when disruptions are sudden, the freight market adjusts. But those adjustments highlight how traditional planning assumptions can break down when operating conditions shift—underscoring the need for a more dynamic, real-time approach to planning and execution.
How fleets are responding to traffic congestion
Addressing congestion starts with understanding where delays are forming and how they shift by lane. To anticipate changes in rates and capacity, Croke suggests tracking load-to-truck ratios by lane rather than by region.
“When drivers are turning down loads out of Atlanta or Laredo, it often means the back half of their clock is getting eaten somewhere predictable,” he said. “Watch the local news and DOT construction alerts. A bridge closure, a port strike, or a tunnel restriction doesn’t just affect trip planning. It can also discourage capacity from coming into the market, which gives you some leverage in your pricing.”
Beyond visibility, fleet owners are also rethinking how they plan, price, and operate in response to congestion.
- Real-time routing and telematics
Congestion is unavoidable. Rush hour, bad weather, and accidents will continue to slow fleets down. While operators can’t eliminate the traffic problem altogether, they can mitigate its impact with purpose-built technology.
Using real-time traffic data and advanced routing software, fleets can plan more efficient routes that avoid known bottlenecks. Dispatchers can also rely on telematics and GPS tools to reroute trucks around emerging congestion.
Beyond improving routing, visibility also changes the way fleets think about pricing and profitability.
“Bid the lane, not the mileage,” Croke said. Time lost at ports or shipper facilities, he continued, needs to be reflected in pricing if fleets want to avoid absorbing hidden costs. “If a lane burns 90 minutes of unpaid time at a port gate or a shipper’s dock, that time has to be in the rate.”
- Data-driven optimization
Beyond real-time routing, fleets are increasingly using data to improve the way they plan and operate.
Using AI and machine learning, operators can analyze historical and real-time data to identify recurring congestion patterns. AI-powered systems can also predict where delays are most likely to occur based on a range of factors, including time of day, facility type, and traffic history. This helps improve ETA forecast accuracy and, in turn, enhances the customer experience.
Fleets are also using data to move pickup and delivery windows away from peak congestion periods. By embracing alternative delivery timing, trucks spend less time at customer facilities and have to sit in less traffic on highways. As a result, operators can reduce time lost to predictable bottlenecks while optimizing overall asset utilization.
When trucks sit in stop-and-go traffic, brakes, tires, and powertrains wear down. By analyzing operational and telematics data, fleets can predict component failure and schedule preventive maintenance before breakdowns occur. This helps reduce unplanned downtime while ensuring trucks are ready to go during peak demand periods.
- Operational flexibility
While fleets can often plan for unproductive time—think seasonal traffic patterns or known urban bottlenecks—true disruptions are less predictable.
“When you can plan for unproductive time—and there are definitely places where you can anticipate schedule disruptions—you price it into your rate,” Croke said. “Volatility implies something unplanned. A named storm. The Key Bridge [collapse]. But rates adjust quickly on the spot market, where pricing is negotiated in real time.”
Ultimately, Croke argues the broader solution is operational flexibility.
“Fleets should work with their customers to help drivers make the most of their limited hours so they can be productive and well-rested,” he said. “Congestion isn’t just about sitting in traffic. It’s anything that soaks up time and can be managed.”
The new definition of fleet efficiency
As fleets continue combating congestion, operators are rethinking what productivity really means.
“The best-run fleets aren’t optimizing for miles,” Croke said. “They’re focused on revenue miles per driving hour, which includes congestion at distribution centers and receiving docks.”
In the age of congestion, time—not distance—is the industry’s most valuable asset.
