Our Digital Forensics Expert Witness can help you extract and analyze data from the Omnitracs fleet management system and other Electronic Logging Device (ELD) systems like it. ELDs became required to replace paper Commercial Motor Vehicle driver's logs. The law requiring these devices went into effect in December 2017.
Omnitracs is used to help manage large fleets of commercial vehicles. One of Omnitracs capabilities is as an Electronic Logging Device (ELD), which are now mandated for certain qualifying commercial trucking vehicles. ELDs track a driver’s operating hours in real-time, data is automatically retrieved directly from their vehicle’s engine to reduce errors and time spent. In accident cases a Driver's Log can sometimes be called into evidence in order to show compliance (or non-compliance) with the Federal Motor Carrier Act's Hours of Service rules. These are in place to ensure drivers take sufficient breaks and are not overly fatigued or traveling in an unsafe manner.
Omnitracs has other capabilities as well to help ensure the company properly complies with vehicle inspection schedules, tax rules, and other regulations. There are dispatch & routing features, asset tracking, transportation management systems, and data and analytics.
Forensics related to ELDs happens in two different ways:
1. Data collected by either the ELD company cloud platform or the Motor Carrier's own data center is examined. This data includes information about GPS location, vehicle speed, Engine Control Unit (ECU) or Engine Control Module (ECM) data, Engine Hours, Fault Codes, User Name, Ignition Status and more. This generally happens via a discovery request, subpoena, or inspection.
2. Examination of the ELD. The inspection or examination of the logging device by an ELD forensics expert has become more critical as time goes on because the data is not held by the ELD companies for long periods of time. Specialized software and procedures may be required to inspect the device and extract the data.
Manufacturers of Electronic Logging Devices include Omnitracs (Qualcomm), Teletrac, Coretex, GeoTab, PeopleNet.
ELD systems can be stand-alone devices or may be installed as apps on cell phones.
It is a requirement that they connect to the ECU/ECM. Depending upon the system, the fault codes may be transmitted to the company along with the other data collected by the ELD.
