ELD LIVE TRACKING/HIGHWAY??? Brokers locked me out.

I'm a one-truck owner-operator. I've had the same surprise with suddenly being locked out of loads from brokers who are now supporting Highway's demand to have access to my location and load data by having direct access to my ELD and hours-of-service data. Highway and about a couple dozen Highway-affiliated brokers that I've hauled for in the past years now designates me as an unverified carrier. One broker that I've worked with for several years and hauled 160 loads now won't work with me, citing Highway's designation that I'm suddenly an unverified carrier. I've got about a dozen other brokers that I've used less often over the years, and they've all locked me out for not letting Highway access my ELD directly. So, given my years of experience with these brokers that I can no longer haul for, this isn't about vetting unknown carriers and addressing cargo theft. This is about these brokers allowing Highway to sell our location data, both personal and while on a load. Despite Highway's statement to the contrary, there's no visibility or guarantee provided to a driver or carrier of when and what data Highway will access, save, and sell. I doubt Highway's interest will remain (or ever was) as they state as being only when on a load of a Highway-affilliated broker. Highway admitted in a Dec 1 email, that they are selling carriers' past lane information to brokers. From the comments in this thread, it appears Highway may be selling real-time location information to brokers, as well. How would a carrier know? The risk of bad actors (Russia, China, etc.) hacking Highway's system and getting access to the carrier data that Highway is collecting, stealing a carrier's credentials, contacts and load history (besides direct administrative access to a carrier's, hours-of-service records) and truly engaging in identify and cargo theft is unlimited. Highway and it's affiliated brokers likely will accept no responsibility when this results in a carrier's operation, reputation, and business being compromised or destroyed. Security of a carrier's hours-of-service records is as important as access to a carrier's bank accounts given the fines and potential regulatory repercussions of bad actors altering hours-of-service records. Even if misuse by Highway could be proven by a carrier, Highway and its affiliated brokers likely would accept no responsibility for the risk they are demanding carriers and drivers accept by allowing unrestricted and undocumented access to a carrier's hours-of-service, load, driver, and location data (carriers have no audit reports of Highway's access and data collected). Highway's new initiative has nothing to do with vetting carriers which is easily, safely, and securely accomplished by other means. This is proven as being truly unnecessary for the established brokers I've worked with for years without issues. As I've done the past few months, it's better to stop hauling loads for those Highway-affiliated brokers who are demanding a carrier put its business at risk by allowing Highway inappropriate, unrestricted, unaudited, and undocumented access to a carrier's internal records for its own and other brokers' profits. The list of Highway-affiliated brokers agreeing to cooperate with Highway and compromise a carrier's operation that I've accumulated so far from this thread and elsewhere are: Ascent Global Logistics, C&L Logistics, Circle Logistics, Coyote Logistics, Decker Logistics, Destination Transport, Emerge, Evans Delivery, Fairchild Freight, FLS Transportation, Fortune Logistics, FWF, Great Lakes Transport Solutions, Integrity Express Logistics, JB Hunt, KCH Transportation, Kirsch Transportation, Landstar, Megacorp Logistics, OTR Transportation, Paul Logistics, Plains Dedicated, PLS Logistics, Steam Logistics, TMC Logistics, Trident Transport, Triple T Transport, and WEL Logistics.

 

Here is a really funny thing. This past week was extremely busy and I booked few loads with brokers who did not verify me on Highway. Literally couple weeks ago I emailed Axle on a posted load , they were like no, can't use you, your ELD is not connected.
Yesterday was Sure! When can you pick up? Rate confirmation was sent right away. Highway still shows that I am not active with them btw

Integrity, Coyote, Schneider, JB Hunt and few others also show Highway access disabled, but they also work with me.

Seems like the only cure for that Highway stupidity is for the market to flip in carriers favor again.

I get it why brokers want to use it to minimize fraud, but if a carrier did bunch of loads for you without problems over the years, it's beyond stupid to drop the known carrier and go with some random dude just because you can track his ELD

 

Yep. I've only had issues once so far, but yeah. They'll sing a different tune when desperate.

Just brokers doin broker sheet

 

@StealthTrucker nailed it perfectly.

 

Alot of ELD's have been removed by the FMCSA lately as well, I wonder if there's more to this, like they are incompatible with Highway perhaps?

 

It's not about Highway. Those ELDs are being caught for illegal practices and get removed by FMCSA because of that. For example I personally know many people who used Truckensure. When you need to change something in your logbook, you call the company (their office is located in Eastern Europe) and they fix your logbook however you like.
The company has few more ELD apps ready though. So all the people from Truckensure simply downloaded a new Eld map and started working as usual keeping the same hardware.

Eventually those new apps will be flagged by DOT, but they will just move on to something else.

Basically all the so called "white Volvo" crowd is using those apps and manipulate logbooks however they want, just like in good old paper logbook days.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if the FMCSA is buying your ELD info from Highway as well.

 

maybe feds in bed with highway like they are with the tech industry. It would not surprise me 1 bit .