Resources
ELD, DVIR, and IFTA guidance for staying audit-ready in Canada and the US.
Compliance
Electronic Logging Devices replaced paper logbooks for most commercial drivers. Here's what an ELD does and who needs one.
Not every commercial vehicle needs an ELD. Here are the real, documented FMCSA exemptions, and why guessing wrong at a roadside inspection is a bad idea.
IFTA simplifies fuel tax reporting for fleets that cross state and provincial lines. Here's what it actually requires, and who has to file.
IFTA reports are due four times a year, and missing a deadline gets expensive fast. Here's the schedule and the most common reasons fleets miss it.
DVIRs are the third piece of the ELD/DVIR/IFTA compliance stack, and the one most fleets understand the least. Here's what the FMCSA rule actually requires.
IFTA rates aren't one number, and they change every quarter. Here's how the rate matrix actually works, and where fleets get the math wrong.
AOBRDs were the technology ELDs replaced. Here's what differed between them, and why the transition deadline still matters today.
The IFTA formula isn't complicated on its own, it's just tedious to do by hand across a real fleet. Here's exactly how the math works, with a worked example.
Texas carriers file IFTA quarterly through the Comptroller's Webfile system. Here's who must register and what triggers penalties.
Ohio IFTA carriers file through OH|TAX eServices with the Department of Taxation. Here's how registration and quarterly filing work.
Kentucky splits fuel tax reporting into two systems: IFTA for most carriers, and KYU for heavy vehicles. Here's how to tell which applies to you.
North Carolina carriers file IFTA through the NCDOR's online eFile system. Here's what registration and quarterly filing actually require.
Michigan requires electronic IFTA filing through the IFTA Processing Consortium. Here's how registration and quarterly filing actually work.
New Jersey charges a decal fee most IFTA states don't, and ties late filing to your IRP credentials. Here's what carriers need to know.
Speaking insufficient English at a roadside inspection is now an out-of-service violation. Here is what changed, when, and what it means for your drivers.
Roadcheck 2026 focused enforcement on ELD tampering and cargo securement. Here is what that meant at the roadside, and how to prepare for next year.
FMCSA and NHTSA are advancing a joint rule requiring automatic emergency braking on trucks over 10,000 lbs. Here is what it would require.
FMCSA and NHTSA formally withdrew the decade-old speed limiter rule in 2025. Here is why, and what it does and does not change for fleets.
A 25% tariff on Mexican-built Class 8 trucks is adding thousands to new-truck costs. Here is what that means for replacement decisions.
From incomplete logs to falsification, here are the ELD violations FMCSA actually cites most, and the real penalty amounts behind them.
OEM-installed and aftermarket ELDs both meet the same FMCSA requirements. Here is what actually differs between an integrated and a designated device.
ELD pricing spans a wide range depending on hardware, contract length, and features. Here is what actually drives that range.
Every IFTA-licensed vehicle needs two decals in a specific spot. Here is what is required, what they cost, and how replacements work.
Canada requires third-party ELD certification, not self-certification like the US. Here is what actually differs, and the key dates.
Quebec IFTA runs through Revenu Quebec, not the SAAQ, and charges for both the license and decals. Here is how filing actually works.
Ontario IFTA runs through ONT-TAXS Online, with a per-set decal fee like New Jersey. Here is how registration and filing actually work.
Alberta charges a $15 registration fee plus $10 per set of decals, and renews annually through TRACS on a tighter window than most jurisdictions.
British Columbia charges $300 to register and $100 a year to renew, the highest IFTA cost of any jurisdiction covered in this series so far.
Pennsylvania charges $12 per vehicle per year for IFTA decals, filed and managed through myPATH. Here is how registration and renewal work.
Georgia charges no separate license fee and just $3 per set of decals, filed through the Georgia Tax Center. Here is how it actually works.
Indiana charges a $25 license application fee but issues decals at no additional charge. Here is how registration and filing actually work.
A USDOT number is a free FMCSA safety identifier every regulated carrier needs. An MC number is paid operating authority, and not every carrier needs one.
Data ownership isn't automatic. It's defined by the contract you sign with your telematics vendor, and the terms vary more than most fleets realize.
A CDL isn't what triggers the ELD rule, the vehicle and the trip are. Here's when a non-CDL hotshot, box truck, or cargo van still needs an ELD.
US Hours of Service caps property-carrying drivers at 11 hours driving inside a 14-hour window, after 10 hours off. Here are the limits and the exceptions that change them.
Federal Canadian HOS lets a driver drive up to 13 hours and be on duty up to 14 hours in a day, after 10 hours off. You pick Cycle 1 (70 hours in 7 days) or Cycle 2 (120 hours in 14 days).
You pass a DOT roadside inspection by having your credentials, current HOS/ELD logs, and DVIR ready, and by keeping brakes, tires, lights, and load securement in order. Any out-of-service defect stops the truck.
There is no genuinely free ELD. The 'free' app is real but it requires a paid subscription and a piece of hardware to function, so what you actually pay is hardware plus a monthly per-truck fee.
You file IFTA online through your base jurisdiction's tax portal, once a quarter, reporting miles driven and fuel purchased in each jurisdiction. A telematics mileage report supplies the distance numbers automatically.
Your CSA score improves when you cut the roadside inspection violations and crashes feeding FMCSA's Safety Measurement System. Clean ELD logs, consistent DVIRs, real maintenance, and driver coaching are the levers.
