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Regulatory Guidance

Welcome to the FMCSA Guidance Portal. This web portal is a searchable, indexed database that contains and links to all guidance documents in effect from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract.

To comment on any guidance document, or to request issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of any guidance document, please identify the guidance document in your request and send it to: FMCSAguidance@dot.gov. NOTE: The FMCSAguidance mailbox is not intended to serve as a mailbox for general inquiries. For inquiries that go beyond the limited purpose of the FMCSAguidance mailbox, please call FMCSA's Information Line (800-832-5660) or visit FMCSA's "Contact Us" page to send your inquiry to the appropriate mailbox.

Subject Agency Identifier Topic Issued Date
Can an electronic logging device (ELD) provider pass the one-minute boot time rule by requiring the driver to power on the device (or an app) prior to starting the engine? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q055(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Is it permissible to allow the electronic logging device (ELD) to power up, boot, and accept driver logins before the engine is powered?  FMCSA-ELD-395-Q056(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
What is a manufacturer required to do when required data is not available from the electronic control module (ECM)? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q057(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
If the required electronic logging device (ELD) data from the electronic control module (ECM) is private and requires an agreement with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to obtain said data, are ELD providers required to enter an agreement with... FMCSA-ELD-395-Q058(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
If the vehicle does not track engine hours, can the record begin with “0”? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q060(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
To ensure that the list of self-certified electronic logging devices (ELDs) is current, ELD providers must notify FMCSA of any major changes to their device. What constitutes a major change to an ELD? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q082(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Section 4.9.1 of 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, Appendix A states than an electronic logging device (ELD) must support either telematics or local transfer for data transfer. Can an ELD offer web services and USB transfer? FMCSA-HOS-ELD-TECH-395-FAQ77(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
What is the resolution process if the FMCSA data transfer mechanism incorrectly rejects a data file during an electronic data transfer? FMCSA-HOS-ELD-TECH-395-FAQ83(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
ELD Registration and Certification FAQs FMCSA-ELD-Registration-and-Certification-FAQs(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
How should the electronic logging device (ELD) handle the dashboard odometer display not matching the odometer value returned by the electronic control module (ECM)? For instance, when the engine is replaced and the value is not synced. FMCSA-ELD-395-Q059(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance