Final Fall, owner-operators across the nation began noticing brokers they’d a protracted and strong historical past with simply began denying them hundreds.
Dan Cohen, a Burlington, Vermont-headquartered owner-op hauled a number of hundreds for Axle Logistics below one other service’s authority, received cleared to haul below his personal, after which „immediately Axle stated that per Freeway’s dealer rules, they mandated that as a result of I’ve no ELD, I used to be disqualified, regardless that I’ve a pre-2000 engine, not requiring an ELD,“ an digital logging gadget in any other case required of most interstate operations, he stated. „Axle stated it could not bend the foundations for a glider truck, regardless that my 2000 Freightliner FLD120 with its 1996 engine is just not a glider truck.“
Freeway, the „service vetting“ platform, appears to have been on a tear. After a earlier report about house owners battling, or suspicous about, Freeway’s onboading platform with respect to ELD integrations, about half a dozen owner-ops stated that large brokers who beforehand used Truckstop’s RMIS service and green-lit them on dozens of hundreds converted to Freeway late final 12 months and the freight stopped flowing.
[Related: Owner-operators allege Highway ‚overstepping‘ with carrier onboarding process]
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David Wheeldon, proprietor of Wheeldon Transport, is one such proprietor. He had a profession in bomb disposal with the Marines, however nonetheless cannot de-risk, so to talk, the ELD onboarding system by way of Freeway sufficient for his liking.
„I simply see very large safety dangers, and it’s simply not me,“ stated Wheeldon, referencing the FBI warning to {industry} in 2020 in regards to the cyber vulnerabilities introduced by ELDs.
Moreover, Wheeldon’s ELD, from the J.J. Keller supplier, asks him to enter his password and username to combine with Freeway. „All the things we have ever been taught about cybersecurity says that is only a no-no.“
Wheeldon is not frightened about some cyber legal going to all the difficulty to hack his ELD and shut his truck down. „I am a really small fish,“ he stated, however along with his nationwide safety pedigree, he sees widespread ELD integrations with Freeway and corporations prefer it as doubtlessly massive factors of failure and a typically large threat to the nation.
„If China or another actor needs to trigger hurt with the U.S. economic system, now they do not must hack into all these programs of lots of and lots of of various suppliers,“ stated Wheeldon. „Now they solely must hack into Freeway.“
Cohen, Wheeldon and others had heard from Freeway that it is Freeway’s dealer prospects that insist on ELD integrations, not Freeway itself. With so many brokers agreeing to work with carriers earlier than and the sudden shift to obligatory ELD integrations, how may that be? Was Freeway pushing brokers in the direction of ELD integrations? And if that’s the case, why?
Based mostly on the queries we obtained from the readership, we put the under record of questions and considerations to Freeway immediately. The corporate roundly denied that it declines freight for anybody or asks for login credentials, tracks carriers outdoors of particular load agreements, or sells any ELD knowledge.
Questions and responses have been edited barely to scale back redundancy.
Overdrive: Did Freeway expertise a major shift in adoption round October-November 2024? A number of carriers have reported that brokers beforehand utilizing RMIS switched to Freeway, significantly mentioning Axle Logistics.
Freeway: Freeway has seen elevated adoption as extra brokers acknowledge the significance of proactive fraud prevention and safe service onboarding. Whereas we will not touch upon particular brokers‘ choices, we proceed to develop our partnerships with brokers who’re prioritizing safety and effectivity of their service vetting processes. The shift in adoption may very well be as a result of brokers selecting to maneuver away from legacy programs that don’t supply the identical stage of real-time verification and fraud prevention.
OVD: Below what circumstances does Freeway require ELD integration to haul a load? Is it at all times on the dealer’s request, or does Freeway have a normal coverage?
HW: Freeway doesn’t require ELD integration to haul a load — brokers set their very own insurance policies. Nevertheless, when Freeway can’t set up a transparent bodily and digital footprint for a service, the service could also be prompted to attach its ELD for verification.
Why ELD? Connecting an ELD helps confirm a service’s id, tools, and working standing, giving brokers confidence in reserving hundreds with vetted carriers.
Who decides? Brokers decide their very own necessities, and a few could choose or require an ELD connection for added visibility.
Carriers who voluntarily join their ELDs to Freeway sometimes achieve sooner entry to freight, as brokers prioritize verified carriers. Contact [email protected] for help.
OVD: The privateness coverage states that ELD knowledge is collected for advertising communications and product monitoring. But some carriers consider Freeway’s core function is to gather and resell ELD knowledge. Does Freeway promote ELD knowledge?
HW: No. Freeway doesn’t accumulate, retailer, promote, or share ELD knowledge for resale. The aim of an ELD connection is to confirm a service’s id and make sure lively tools when required by a dealer. Freeway solely tracks location whereas a service is on a contracted load for a dealer who requires it. This ends on the level of supply. As soon as the load is accomplished, Freeway doesn’t retrieve or retain real-time location knowledge. Freeway performs periodic, restricted checks to verify the presence of lively automobiles related to the ELD account, however is just not retrieving real-time location knowledge.
Freeway’s enterprise mannequin is constructed on software program subscriptions for brokers. There is no such thing as a monetization of ELD knowledge. Our aim is to assist brokers join with legit, verifiable carriers whereas enabling carriers to entry extra freight.
[Related: ELDs, location tracking making brokers more annoying?]
OVD: Why does Freeway ask carriers for his or her ELD login credentials, and what are the privateness/safety implications? Carriers are involved about sharing login credentials as a result of potential dangers, resembling the flexibility to de-rate an engine or shut down a truck remotely. How does Freeway tackle these considerations?
HW: Freeway doesn’t ask for login credentials except an ELD supplier’s API design requires it. Freeway solely accesses ELD knowledge by way of safe, API-based integration with ELD suppliers. A service’s ELD account is just not accessed by Freeway workforce members.
- Freeway doesn’t alter account settings or make adjustments to a service’s ELD.
- Freeway doesn’t share API credentials with brokers or any third events.
- Freeway solely accesses restricted knowledge wanted to confirm tools presence and motion.
Freeway does NOT accumulate:
- Hours of Service (HOS)
- Driver-related info
- File of Responsibility Standing (RODS)
- Security occasions (harsh braking, collisions, and many others.)
- Engine diagnostics or fault codes
Carriers retain full management over their ELD connection, and brokers don’t have direct entry to ELD knowledge by way of Freeway.
OVD: Has Freeway thought-about the nationwide safety implications of consolidating ELD integrations? A service with a nationwide safety background raised considerations that if Freeway integrates with all ELDs, it may grow to be a single level of failure within the occasion of a cyberattack.
HW: Sure. Safety is a core precedence for Freeway, and we apply bank-grade encryption and industry-leading safety practices to make sure the integrity of our programs:
- SOC 2 Sort II certification
- 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption
- ISO 27001 conformity
Whereas Freeway integrates with a number of ELD suppliers, every connection is carrier-controlled and doesn’t create a centralized vulnerability. Our method prioritizes safety and minimizes the danger of mass disruption within the occasion of a cyberattack.
OVD: What are the information privateness agreements between ELD suppliers and Freeway? Does Freeway obtain ELD knowledge solely with service authorization, or can suppliers like Motive share knowledge with out service consent? Will Freeway affirmatively state that it by no means takes ELD knowledge with out service approval?
HW: Freeway solely receives ELD knowledge with the service’s authorization. Motive or every other ELD supplier can’t share knowledge with Freeway with out the service’s consent. Carriers at all times have the flexibility to attach or disconnect their ELD at their discretion. Freeway won’t ever take or entry ELD knowledge with out service approval.
OVD: Does Freeway incentivize brokers to require ELD integration, or advocate it? Carriers report that brokers who beforehand didn’t require ELD integrations started doing so after switching to Freeway.
HW: The specter of fraud is prolific and impacts all of us. The ELD connection between you (the service) and Freeway builds belief with our dealer companions (i.e., our prospects) and secures the provision chain. For good cause, carriers with an ELD related to Freeway get entry to the most effective freight. When Freeway is unable to determine a transparent bodily and digital footprint for a service, the person will probably be routinely prompted to attach its ELD to Freeway for verification of its tools and up to date actions.
Whereas we all know this method to transparency is new, we’re deeply satisfied by the outcomes. Our prospects and carriers with related ELDs report stronger partnerships and safer operations in immediately’s provide chain.
OVD: What goes into flagging a truck as a glider equipment? Some carriers declare they have been wrongly flagged as having glider equipment vans after they had changed an authentic engine. What standards does Freeway use to make this willpower?
HW: We don’t have the flexibility to just accept ELD exemptions — it’s our prospects who get to make ELD exemptions. While you make this declare [that you are ELD-exempt] with our buyer, you could be prompted to add your a) title or mortgage settlement, b) cab card or registration, and c) driver’s license. These paperwork are included in an e mail despatched on to the client for evaluate. The hiring resolution is adjudicated by our buyer with out enter from Freeway.
Word: We shared the Q&A with owner-operator David Wheeldon previous to publication, and he remained „personally not satisfied“ the corporate had taken all the safety steps attainable, he stated. „Banks get hacked, too,“ and the safety protocols Freeway detailed in its solutions he felt have been „simply type of checking the field.“
Meantime, he is personally paid the worth for refusing to „give up“ to what he sees as coercive observe with respect to ELD integration, he stated. „With the worth of eggs these days, my spouse and I sat down for breakfast and needed to have one egg and never two.“ Perhaps issues lookup when the market flips, maybe in additional methods than one — how demanding can brokers be from the „service vetting“ facet when truckers are in excessive demand? Time will inform.
[Related: $10/month to vet yourself for a broker? Carrier vetting’s latest turn]
