The new VDO RoadLog electronic onboard recorder (EOBR) was introduced at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show. It's described as a "simple, all-in-one solution for daily logbook and other compliance reporting." It's designed to allow drivers and fleets to record and report hours of service and other key compliance data quickly, easily and without monthly fees, says Continental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket, a business unit of Continental, the company you most likely know as a tire maker.

In fact, Continental claims to be the world leader in EOBR technology, having put over five million such devices in use worldwide over the past 30 years. The VDO name is a European mainstay.

The RoadLog can automatically track a driver’s time in one of four categories: On-duty, Driving, Sleeper Berth, and Off-duty, and will provide a warning if allowable limits will be exceeded. The driver’s data can be transferred in seconds from a USB without the need for a smartphone, the company says. 

RoadLog features a built-in printer, which provides an instant paper report of daily logbook data at roadside inspections, with all the information provided by a handwritten log.

It can also record data for a variety of reports that can help make trucking operations more efficient, including International Fuel Tax Agreement and International Registration Plan.

The RoadLog fleet-management software provides can manage an unlimited number of drivers and vehicles.

It's FMCSA-compliant and also meets Canadian rules, says Continental, while being "easily" upgradeable to future U.S. and Canadian EOBR mandates.

An optional wireless download feature will be available in 2013 to allow data collection via cellular networks.