What is an Automatic Onboard Recording Device (AOBRD)?

What is an AOBRD?

AOBRD stands for Automatic Onboard Recording Device. It is an electronic or mechanical device used to record a driver's duty status information accurately and automatically as required by Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. (49 CFR § 395.15)

AOBRDs must be installed and synchronized with specific operations of the commercial motor vehicles. At a minimum, the device must record engine use, road speed, miles driven, the date, and time of day.

Because AOBRDs are primarily used to record a driver’s hours of service (HOS), they must be as tamper-proof as possible. Records of duty status can only be edited by a supervisory motor carrier official to accurately reflect the driver’s activity. 

AOBRD vs. ELD

While AOBRD and electronic logging devices (ELD) both record driver’s hours of service, an ELD has more advanced recording capabilities.

Key differences between the two devices include:

• Recorded information: AOBRDs and ELDs both record the date, vehicle mileage, engine hours, location information, and driver's duty status. However, AOBRD devices don’t capture driver information, whether the vehicle is on or off, or engine diagnostics.

• Speed: Fleet managers need to manually set a speeding threshold that triggers drive time with AOBRD devices. By contrast, ELD devices automatically record drive time when the vehicle is moving at five miles per hour or above.

• Edit functionality: AOBRDs and ELDs both record when drivers make edits and when it happens. But every edit in ELDs needs an annotation, and edit history must be available to DOT inspectors.

Generally, an ELD solution is more restrictive than an AOBRD, but it offers more functionality. The rules surrounding ELDs are more detailed but bring accountability and compliance to the trucking industry.

AOBRD and the transition to ELD

AORBDs were approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 1988. Instead of commercial drivers recording hours of service on paper logs, the AOBRD helped manage driver logs electronically. 

In 2012, U.S. Congress passed the transportation reauthorization bill MAP-21. The ELD final rule is part of the MAP-21 mandate and went into effect in 2017. The ELD rule did two things. It was passed to ensure that drivers have a safe work environment and created an easier system to track and manage records of duty status (RODS).

The ELD mandate has two main phases. As of December 17, 2017, all vehicles subject to the ELD mandate must record Hours of Service electronically. Recording devices must comply with FMCSA regulations. While any device installed after this date must be ELDs, existing, already-installed AOBRDs in vehicles may still be used.

The second phase would take effect on December 17, 2019. At this time, data must be recorded directly from the vehicle's engine and automatically transmitted to DOT. This means that all devices must be ELDs — AOBRDs will no longer satisfy the mandate. Any remaining AOBRDs will need to be replaced or updated to meet the ELD technical specifications. Further, drivers must use an FMCSA-registered ELD to maintain ELD compliance.

Canada adopted an ELD mandate similar to the U.S. in 2019 and will gradually phase out AOBRDs. The Canadian mandate will require ELDs to be enforced on June 12, 2021, with existing AOBRDs allowed until 2022.