ELD Violations: The Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The ELD mandate was supposed to be a win for compliance. Automated tracking, no more paper falsification, a clear record of every mile driven and every hour worked. And in theory, it is. In practice, ELDs have created a new category of violations — ones that carriers cannot blame on a driver's handwriting or a missing signature. The data is right there, and so are the problems.

Here are the violations I see most often when I audit a fleet's ELD records — and how to prevent each one.

Mistake 1: Unassigned Driving Time Left Unresolved

This is the number one ELD-related problem I encounter. Unassigned driving time happens when a truck moves but no driver is logged in — it could be a yard move, a dispatch error, or a driver who simply forgot to log in before moving. The ELD records the motion, creates an unassigned event, and waits for someone to claim it or explain it.

When unassigned driving time sits unresolved for days, it tells DOT one of two things: either your carrier has no oversight system, or someone is deliberately avoiding claiming the hours. Neither is a good look. Unassigned driving time should be reviewed and resolved every single day — assigned to the correct driver or documented with a reason.

Mistake 2: Incorrect Duty Status Selections

Drivers are required to accurately record their duty status throughout the day: off duty, sleeper berth, driving, on-duty not driving. Common errors include:

• Staying in "driving" status during long fuel stops or border waits
• Logging as "off duty" during short breaks that do not qualify
• Missing the shift to "on duty not driving" when loading or unloading

Each incorrect duty status entry is a potential HOS violation. And because ELD data is timestamped and GPS-correlated, these errors are easy for DOT to spot — especially when the log says the truck was stationary while the driver was logged as "driving."

Mistake 3: Form and Manner Violations

Every ELD log must include complete and accurate information: carrier name, home terminal, co-driver name (if applicable), shipping document numbers, and the driver's signature certifying the log is accurate. Missing or incorrect fields are form and manner violations — and they add up fast across a fleet of drivers.

This is the compliance equivalent of a paperwork audit failure. The driving was fine. The hours were legal. But the log is incomplete, and that is a violation.

Mistake 4: ELD Malfunctions That Go Unreported

ELDs malfunction. Devices lose GPS signal, software glitches, connections to the truck's ECM fail. When this happens, there is a specific procedure: the driver must note the malfunction in writing, notify the carrier within 24 hours, and maintain paper logs until the device is repaired. The carrier has 8 days to repair or replace the device.

What most carriers do instead: nothing. The driver keeps driving, the malfunction goes unreported, and when an inspector checks the device and finds a gap in records that was never documented, it looks like deliberate avoidance. A documented and properly managed ELD malfunction is a non-issue. An undocumented one is a violation.

Mistake 5: Editing Logs Without Documentation

ELDs allow drivers and carriers to edit logs to correct genuine errors — a missed status change, a wrong location entry. But every edit is recorded in the device's audit trail, with the original entry, the change, and the reason provided.

When edits happen frequently, follow patterns (every Thursday, always the same driver, always the same type of change), or lack credible explanations, they become red flags. An auditor reviewing an ELD with dozens of unexplained edits is not going to assume they are all innocent clerical errors.

Mistake 6: Personal Conveyance Abuse

Personal conveyance (PC) allows drivers to use the truck for personal travel while off duty without it counting against their HOS. The problem is that many carriers use PC to move trucks in ways that are not genuinely personal — repositioning equipment, moving between facilities, or driving to a pickup location under the guise of "personal use."

FMCSA has very specific guidance on when PC is appropriate. When a truck's GPS shows PC movement that does not align with personal travel patterns — long distances, suspicious timing, routes that match freight corridors — it triggers scrutiny. PC abuse is one of the fastest ways to get your HOS BASIC score flagged.

How to Run a Clean ELD Operation

• Review ELD data daily. Do not wait for violations to appear in your CSA scores — find and address issues the same day they occur.
• Train drivers on proper duty status selection — not just how to use the device, but when each status applies.
• Establish a clear malfunction protocol and make sure every driver knows what to do when their device fails.
• Document every log edit with a clear, accurate reason. If it cannot be explained in one sentence, reconsider the edit.
• Review personal conveyance use at least weekly to ensure it is being used appropriately.

The ELD does not lie — but it does expose whether your systems are working. A clean ELD record is not luck. It is the product of daily oversight, consistent driver training, and a carrier that actually reviews its own data.

Rhythm Gandhi

Founder & Principal Compliance Consultant

Rhythm is the founder of Fleet Regulators. She audits ELD data daily for carrier clients and has helped fleets reduce their HOS BASIC scores from critical levels to well within safe ranges.