Command Center Help
One subject per page. Use the topic buttons or Previous / Next. Each page explains exactly what the driver should do, what BASIC ELD does automatically, and what gets recorded. Pages may scroll vertically when the instructions need more room; topics never overlap.
Driving — Automatic ELD Status
You normally do not need to press Driving. BASIC ELD watches truck speed. When the truck begins moving above the driving threshold, the duty status changes to DRIVING automatically and the driving clock begins counting.
What the driver does
- Finish required Pre-Trip and DOT check-in before starting the trip.
- Drive normally. BASIC ELD changes the status automatically when movement is detected.
- If the truck stops briefly, the status stays Driving. After a sustained stop, the system can fall back to On Duty.
What gets recorded
Driving time, shift time, break timing, HOS limits, duty-history entries, and the current ATS trip all remain connected to the same driver record.
On Duty — Working While Stopped
Use ON DUTY when you are working but not driving. Examples include fueling, loading, unloading, inspecting the truck, completing DOT activity, or dealing with repairs.
Automatic On Duty events
BASIC ELD can place the driver On Duty when it detects work events such as accepting/loading a job, completing/unloading a delivery, or fueling while stopped. Driving can also fall back to On Duty after a sustained stop.
When to press the button
If you are stopped and working and the system has not automatically identified the activity, press ON DUTY. Do not use Off Duty or Sleeper while performing work.
Sleeper — Real Rest Tracking
Press SLEEPER when the truck is stopped and you are beginning a sleeper-berth rest period. The status is tied to ATS game time so normal ATS rest/time advancement can count toward HOS recovery.
How to use Sleeper
- Stop the truck safely.
- Press SLEEPER.
- Use ATS rest normally if you want game time to advance.
- Leave the truck stationary while Sleeper is active.
What BASIC ELD does
A qualifying 30-minute non-driving break can reset the break clock. A qualifying 10-hour Sleeper/Off Duty rest can reset daily driving and shift limits. Split-sleeper periods can be stored when the qualifying pieces are long enough.
Off Duty — Rest Away From Work
Press OFF DUTY only while the truck is stopped and you are no longer performing work. Off Duty contributes to qualifying rest in the HOS system.
Examples
Meal/rest breaks, parked personal downtime, or the end of a work period can be logged Off Duty. Fueling, loading, inspections, scales, and repairs are work and should remain On Duty.
Parking prompt
If the truck stays parked while On Duty for an extended period, BASIC ELD can show a reminder asking whether you are actually resting. The system does not silently change you to Off Duty; the driver makes that decision.
Pre-Trip — Before You Start Driving
At the beginning of a new job, the existing Inspection tab operates as the Pre-Trip inspection. No extra main-screen button is required.
How to complete it
- Open Inspection.
- Review all 16 inspection items.
- Mark every item PASS or DEFECT.
- Finish the inspection only after all items have a selection.
What gets checked
Tires, inflation, service brakes, parking brake, steering, lights, mirrors, horn, wipers, fifth wheel/coupling, trailer air/electrical connections, cargo securement, leaks, and emergency equipment.
A completed Pre-Trip is timestamped and becomes part of the driver’s DVIR history.
Post-Trip — Automatic Inspection Switching
There is no separate Post-Trip button. After a successful ATS job delivery, BASIC ELD marks POST-TRIP DUE. The same existing Inspection tab changes context and becomes the Post-Trip inspection.
Driver workflow
- Finish and deliver the ATS job.
- Watch for the POST-TRIP DUE inspection status.
- Open the existing Inspection tab.
- Complete the same 16-point inspection based on the truck’s end-of-trip condition.
- Finish the inspection.
After completion
The record is saved as a Post-Trip, defects are carried into DVIR, and the Inspection system returns to Pre-Trip mode for the next work period.
DVIR Defects — Open, Repaired, Driver Verified
Defects are not just text. BASIC ELD keeps a lifecycle for issues discovered during inspections.
OPEN
The driver reported a defect and it has not yet been repaired.
REPAIRED
ATS telemetry shows a meaningful reduction in truck/trailer damage while stopped, indicating repair work. Applicable open defects can be marked Repaired.
DRIVER VERIFIED
On a later inspection, the driver passes an item that had already been marked Repaired. BASIC ELD records that the repair was driver verified.
DOT / Scale — Compliance Inspection
The DOT / Scale tab combines multiple systems into one compliance view. A scale event may select the truck for an inspection based on the configured inspection chance and cooldown.
What the scan can evaluate
- Mechanical truck and trailer condition.
- DVIR completion and reported defects.
- HOS and logbook limits.
- DOT check-in.
- Open fines and tickets.
- Driver credentials and program status.
Serious findings can create citations or an Out-of-Service condition according to the Admin ticket rules.
Vehicle Status — Live ATS Condition
Vehicle Status uses actual telemetry wherever ATS exposes it. This includes truck damage, trailer damage, speed, fuel level, current job information, and other connected state.
Why it matters
Vehicle condition feeds DVIR, maintenance findings, DOT / Scale results, and repair detection. The driver should treat an active maintenance or Out-of-Service finding as something that must be corrected before continuing normal operation.
Tickets & Fines — Citation, Warning, Out of Service
The DOT Tickets tab shows the driver’s current enforcement records. Version 323 retains the ticket system introduced in the 318 baseline.
Ticket levels
- Citation Only — ticket and fine without a truck hold.
- Citation + Warning — elevated enforcement warning without automatically locking the truck.
- Out of Service — ticket plus the existing pull-over warning and safe vehicle-hold sequence.
Payment is not considered complete until the real ATS money deduction is verified by the Economy system.
Driver Profile / License — One Driver Record
The driver profile connects identity, license/credential status, enforcement, HOS, inspections, tickets, ATS cash, and trip history to the same Steam-linked driver record.
What the driver should check
Keep the displayed driver identity correct and review credential/compliance status before driving. DOT scans can use credential findings along with HOS, DVIR, and vehicle condition.
HOS Warnings — Know Before You Violate
BASIC ELD monitors available driving time and the shift window. Warning states are generated before the driving clock reaches zero.
Driving-time warnings
- 1 hour remaining
- 30 minutes remaining
- 15 minutes remaining
- Limit reached / violation
The system also tracks the required 30-minute break and the rolling 70-hour / 8-day cycle. Do not rely on a warning as permission to continue past a legal limit.
Fueling — Automatic On Duty Event
When the truck is stopped and ATS fuel level increases by a meaningful amount, BASIC ELD records a fueling event. Fueling is treated as work, so the duty state can be placed ON DUTY.
What the driver does
Fuel normally in ATS. You do not need a separate Fuel button. After fueling, review the Logbook if you want to confirm the work event.
Loading / Unloading — Job-Based On Duty Events
BASIC ELD uses ATS job telemetry to recognize the beginning and end of freight work.
Loading
When a new ATS job is accepted, the system prepares the new trip, requires a fresh Pre-Trip, and records the loading/work period as On Duty.
Unloading
When the job is delivered, the system records unloading/work activity and immediately marks POST-TRIP DUE.
Repairs — Closing the Defect Loop
When ATS truck/trailer damage decreases while the vehicle is stopped, BASIC ELD can recognize that repair work occurred.
Defect progression
Open DVIR defects can move to REPAIRED. They are not treated as fully driver-verified until a later inspection passes the affected item. That inspection moves the record to DRIVER VERIFIED.
Repair work itself is an On Duty activity.
Trailer Inspection — Part of the Existing Inspection
There is no extra trailer-inspection button. When an ATS job is active, the Pre-Trip checklist already includes the trailer-related checks that matter.
Trailer items
Fifth wheel/coupling, trailer air and electrical connections, cargo/trailer securement, tires/condition, lighting, and visible defects are covered by the existing inspection workflow.
Completing the Pre-Trip satisfies the trailer inspection requirement for that trip.
Parking / Break Prompt — Driver Chooses Rest Status
If the truck remains stopped while the driver is still On Duty, BASIC ELD can display a prompt reminding the driver that they may want to select OFF DUTY or SLEEPER if they are actually resting.
What it does not do
The system does not silently claim that work time was rest time. The driver must choose the correct rest status. If the stop is for fueling, loading, unloading, inspection, scales, or repair, remain On Duty.