§395.30 sets the malfunction protocol. When an ELD malfunctions, the driver must (1) note the malfunction and provide written notice to the carrier within 24 hours, (2) reconstruct the current 24-hour period and the prior 7 days on paper graph-grid logs, and (3) continue paper logs until the ELD is repaired. The carrier must take action to correct the malfunction within 8 days of discovery or notification.
Severity weight
Severity weight 1 in the HOS Compliance BASIC. The weight is low, but a §395.30 finding combined with a §395.22 ELD-not-required-information finding is what auditors aggregate — and a prolonged malfunction without repair escalates the carrier-side penalty quickly.
The 8-day clock
The 8-day repair window in §395.30(c) starts at discovery or carrier notification, whichever is earlier. Carriers that allow an ELD to remain in service "malfunctioning but kind of working" past the 8-day mark take a §390.5 carrier-side citation in addition to the driver-side finding.
How to prevent it
- Stock paper logs and §395 instructions in every CMV — the §395.30 reconstruction starts the moment the malfunction is detected.
- Train drivers to report malfunctions immediately. The 24-hour notice clock starts at detection.
- Track ELD malfunctions in dispatch. The 8-day repair deadline needs a system to enforce it.
How Roadworthy HQ helps
ELD malfunction events logged in Roadworthy HQ start the 8-day repair countdown, retain the driver's reconstructed paper logs against the §395.8 record, and surface the §385.337 corrective-action documentation an auditor expects.