Surprisingly, this small mandate comes in a time where “driverless trucks” are becoming a reality. For outsiders of the trucking world, an ELD seems like an invention of the 90s rather than a hotly debated device in 2017. The truth is that ELDs have been around for a while, but these simple devices have faced opposition from the start. Let’s take a look at the history of ELDs and their journey from a 1985 invention to the spotlight of a 2017 mandate.
Where They Began
ELDs were first used in the mid-1980s. While the concept was solid, the equipment wasn’t reliable. The lack of wireless technology made the devices struggle to transmit data from a cab to its “homebase.” These difficulties stunted the introduction of the invention and its reception by the public.