Zonar Logs™ is an ELD (Electronic Logging Device) and Hours-of-Service (HoS) compliance system that automatically captures driving time from vehicle engine data, gives drivers real-time in-cab alerts before they reach a violation and gives compliance managers a single portal to review records of duty status (RODS), trends and logs. No spreadsheets required.
The result is fewer violations, faster roadside inspections, and a lower administrative burden for US trucking fleets.
Why do trucking fleets need an ELD and Hours-of-Service compliance system?
Fleets need an ELD and Hours-of-Service compliance system because compliance is federally mandated. An ELD is a system that automatically records a driver's driving time to verify compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) HoS rules, and federal law requires most commercial fleets to run FMCSA-registered electronic logging devices to prove it, replacing the paper logs that drivers once filled out by hand. ELD compliance and HoS compliance work together this way: one records the hours, the other governs the limits.
Hours of Service (HoS) rules limit how long commercial drivers operate their vehicles before they must rest, and they exist to reduce fatigue-related crashes.
These rules are part of the broader body of trucking regulations that apply to most interstate commercial motor vehicles that meet weight, passenger or hazardous materials thresholds, and they carry real consequences for fleets that get them wrong. The core limits fleet managers need to track include:
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11-hour driving limit: a maximum of 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
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11-hour driving limit: a maximum of 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
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14-hour on-duty window: no driving beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty.
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30-minute break: required after 8 cumulative hours of driving.
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60/70-hour weekly cap: no driving after 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days.
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34-hour restart: a 34-hour consecutive off-duty period resets the weekly clock.
Missing any of these thresholds triggers a violation. Violations increase the likelihood or roadside pull-overs and additional inspections, hurt CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) safety scores and put drivers out of service, resulting in costs for fleets and downtime. This is the gap that Logs is built to close.
How does Zonar Logs capture driver hours automatically?
Logs removes manual guesswork from HoS tracking by pulling data directly from the vehicle, replacing the driver's memory and handwritten paper logs that fleets once relied on. Live engine data transmits from the vehicle to the Zonar V4™ telematics device through a J1939 (a standardized vehicle data protocol) connected unit installed near the vehicle's ECM (engine control module).
Drivers then enter and certify their hours of service using the Logs app on their in-cab tablet or mobile device, which keeps the automated engine data and driver-entered status aligned.
Accuracy holds up even in difficult conditions. Logs uses multi-constellation GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning and inertial sensors; logging remains precise in tunnels and garages where satellite signals drop.
Logs are generated down to the second and stored locally during cellular outages, then sync once connectivity returns.
How does Zonar Logs prevent violations before they happen?
Logs prevents violations by warning drivers before they cross a limit, catching the problem before it happens. The app maintains real-time clocks for accuracy and displays color-coded countdown clocks with on-screen alerts as a driver approaches a limit, and again if they reach one.
Self-guided prompts walk drivers through the certification process and duty status updates, reducing errors caused by unfamiliar paperwork.
This matters because falsified hours are a known problem in the industry. Some drivers have historically adjusted their reported hours to gain extra drive time and earn more money.
Pulling hours directly from vehicle engine data closes that workaround, since the record reflects actual, verified vehicle motion. The truck doesn't lie.
How do managers get real-time visibility into fleet compliance?
Compliance managers handle driver log management, violations, trends and real-time duty status through Zonar Ignition™, the back-office portal that ties into Logs. Dispatchers and safety managers see each driver's available hours in one secure view, and the system flags potential violations early, well before they turn into a citation.
Two features stand out for reducing administrative back-and-forth:
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Log edit suggestions: managers suggest edits and drivers confirm them with justification, keeping an audit trail intact.
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Unidentified driving time assignment: if a driver forgets to sign in, managers see who was driving and for how long based on vehicle data, then assign that time to the correct driver.
Managers also review common violation trends across the fleet to guide safety training and identify vehicle malfunctions along with the drivers they affect. All of this is accessible on the go through the Ignition mobile app.
What happens when a fleet switches to Zonar for HoS tracking?
Not having logs ready for an inspector is one of the leading causes of HoS violations. Logs addresses that directly with log certifications and built-in roadside data transfers, and the app's Roadside View displays and exports only the ELD data an inspector needs, which shortens the inspection and reduces manual errors during the exchange.
Pacific Coachways Charter Services, a Southern California motorcoach operator, saw this play out directly. Sometimes all it takes is one wrong city on a log to make the case.
The company had run on an aging, custom-built telematics system for a decade, and a driver's simple transcription error, the wrong city written into a paper log during a week-long tour, triggered a deeper FMCSA audit that turned up additional violations and fines.
After equipping its fleet with Zonar tablets and telematics units, including the Logs hours-of-service application, Pacific Coachways nearly eliminated incorrect driver logs within six months. According to Vice President and General Manager Giddens, the fleet went through that entire stretch without a single adverse audit finding during roadside inspections.
He also pointed to a clearer view into fuel efficiency, idle times and speeding, since the system tied hours and location together automatically. For a company anticipating tighter federal scrutiny and the ELD mandate, that shift from reactive fixes to automated, GPS-backed records was the difference between chasing violations and getting ahead of them.
Is Zonar Logs certified for U.S. and Canada operations?
Logs is fleet compliance software built for both U.S. and Canadian rules. It's self-certified with the FMCSA, confirming Logs meets the agency's technical requirements for ELD compliance, including automatic duty status changes and a clear audit trail for any log edits.
Zonar is also one of the first ELD provider options to complete FMCSA end-to-end testing and undergo independent third-party validation, a combination that gives drivers and back-office teams alike a more reliable, easier-to-use system.
For fleets that cross into Canada, Logs also carries third-party certification through Transport Canada's COMDriver program. That means one ELD solution works in both countries, so cross-border carriers don't need separate systems.
The system supports rulesets and exemptions across U.S. states and Canadian provinces and updates automatically when HoS regulations change, so fleets don't have to manually reconfigure the system each time a rule changes.
How does Zonar Logs fit into a connected fleet platform?
As an ELD and Hours-of-Service compliance system, Logs is part of the broader telematics and compliance stack of Zonar, feeding into the same back-office portal as GPS tracking, automated inspection reporting, maintenance alerts and, for K-12 fleets, routing and student-tracking modules.
That means HoS logs sit alongside inspection and maintenance records, so audits can pull from a single connected system.
This single-platform approach serves a range of operations, including:
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K-12 school bus fleets, which use Logs to standardize time records and integrate with automated inspection reports, routing and student-tracking tools, even where federal HoS limits don't apply to routine student transport.
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Vocational trucks and public works fleets, including refuse, utility and service vehicles heavy enough to qualify as commercial vehicles or that operate in interstate commerce.
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Regional and cross-border carriers that rely on combined U.S. and Canadian certification to run a single ELD solution across both countries.
What should fleet managers know before getting started?
The setup pairs Zonar V4 telematics hardware units with detachable tablets mounted on the units.
Logs is priced on a quote-based, per-vehicle, per-month model that bundles hardware with platform access.
Backing all of this is dedicated support from the Zonar in-house safety and compliance team, many of whom bring experience from former law enforcement and field roles, plus on-tablet instruction cards and user guides that help drivers get comfortable with the system quickly.
Ready to simplify HoS compliance?
As a single ELD and Hours-of-Service compliance system, Logs pairs FMCSA self-certification with automated engine data, in-cab alerts and a connected back-office portal, so drivers, managers and inspectors work from the same accurate record. Fewer surprises at the roadside, more peace of mind at the office.
Want to see how it works? Contact Zonar to request a free consultation with the compliance team or schedule a live demo to see the platform in action.
