J.J. Keller & Associates is offering a way to record on-duty hyrail time without counting against a driver’s allotted 11 hours of on-duty driving time.

With the added hyrail functionality to the J.J. Keller Encompass System of electronic logs, drivers are now able to accurately track time spent driving on roadways spate from time spent operating on a rail. Time on a rail is officially recognized in regulations as “on duty, not driving.”

Hyrail vehicles are designed to operate on both rails and road surfaces and are able to reach areas not accessible by road where maintenance or repair is required. The feature addresses a concern among railroad companies on how to manage hyrail hours.

“Hours logged using the hyrail functionality can be cross-referenced with GPS records to prove the vehicle was actually being used while on a rail, and not a public roadway,” said Amy Daley, senior manager of transport products for J.J. Keller. “It also distinguishes between on-duty hyrail time, and on-duty time spent doing something else, such as working in the shop or at a worksite. This is a significant enhancement for railroad companies striving to maintain accurate hours of service records.”

“Hours of Service regulations continue to present complexities pertaining to specific areas of the transport industry, including challenges unique to the rail industry” said Tom Bray, senior transportation editor for J. J. Keller. “We’re committed to using our knowledge of regulatory compliance to continue making robust enhancements to the Encompass solution, ensuring we meet the needs of the marketplace and provide value to all customers and segments."

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