FMCSA Just Banned 5 ELDs - And Your Replacement Could Cost $125 Per Truck

If your ELD has one of these names on it…

you might want to look at that little box in your truck.

Like…

right now.

Because FMCSA just kicked five ELDs off its approved list.

And if you're using one of them, eventually that little electronic box could become a very expensive paperweight.

The five ELDs are:

Moonlight ELD.

HGRS ELD.

Highest ELD.

Truckford ELD.

And…

Sparkle ELD.

Yes.

Sparkle ELD.

Apparently the sparkle is gone.

FMCSA removed all five from its registered ELD list on August 6, 2026, saying the devices failed to meet federal requirements.

Now, before everybody starts speaking fluent government regulation…

let's translate this into truck driver English.

What Does This Actually Mean?

If you're using one of those five ELDs, FMCSA wants you to stop relying on it.

For now, affected carriers are supposed to use paper logs or compliant logging software while getting a replacement.

And you have until:

October 6, 2026.

By then, you need to be using an ELD that's actually on FMCSA's registered-device list.

So basically:

Your ELD got fired.

And FMCSA is giving you about two months to hire another one.

What Happens After October 6?

This is where the story stops being annoying…

and starts potentially costing money.

Beginning October 6, FMCSA says a carrier that keeps using one of these revoked devices will be treated as if it is operating without a valid ELD.

And if an inspector catches the driver using it?

The driver can be cited.

And placed out of service.

Translation:

Truck parked.

Load possibly late.

Dispatcher calling.

Broker calling.

Customer calling.

So How Much Could Replacing It Cost?

There is no single replacement price because ELD companies charge differently.

Some offer free hardware with a subscription.

Others charge for the device.

Some have monthly fees.

Some have annual plans.

But here's one real-world example.

TruckingOffice currently advertises a plan with a $125 truck data reader and a $23 monthly subscription.

We're not saying that's what every carrier will pay.

We're simply using that $125 hardware price to show what replacing equipment could look like.

One truck?

1 × $125 = $125.

Not terrible.

Ten trucks?

10 × $125 = $1,250.

Okay.

Now we're paying attention.

Fifty trucks?

50 × $125 = $6,250.

There we go.

Now somebody in accounting just sat up straight.

And remember:

That's only the example hardware cost.

It does not include possible installation costs.

Activation fees.

Monthly subscriptions.

Training drivers on the new system.

Getting everybody's accounts set up.

Or potentially getting out of a contract with the old provider.

So a larger fleet could be looking at thousands of dollars just because the ELD company they picked ended up getting kicked off FMCSA's list.

But The Bigger Expense Might Be Waiting

Here's where I would not play around.

You might look at a $125 replacement and say:

"Eh. I'll deal with it later."

And technically, you've got some time.

But after October 6?

That attitude could get expensive.

Imagine you've got a load paying $2,500.

You're halfway across the country.

Inspection.

Officer checks your ELD.

Your device is one of the revoked ones.

Now you're potentially out of service.

That doesn't automatically mean you lose the entire $2,500.

But now you've introduced something every trucking company loves:

problems.

Maybe the delivery becomes late.

Maybe you lose another load afterward.

Maybe the broker hits you with a service failure.

Maybe you're sitting instead of driving.

Meanwhile, that replacement ELD you didn't want to buy is sitting online like:

"Brother… I was only $125."

There's One Important Catch

FMCSA says an ELD can potentially be returned to the registered list if the provider fixes the problems that caused it to be removed.

So it's possible one or more of these companies gets its device back into compliance before the deadline.

But FMCSA specifically says carriers should take action now instead of assuming that will happen.

In other words:

Don't build your compliance strategy around:

"Maybe they'll fix it."

That's not a strategy.

That's gambling.

And trucking already gives us enough opportunities to gamble without involving the DOT.

The Bottom Line

If you use:

Moonlight ELD, HGRS ELD, Highest ELD, Truckford ELD, or Sparkle ELD…

check your setup now.

FMCSA removed those devices from its approved list on August 6, 2026.

Affected carriers should move to paper logs or compliant logging software while replacing the device.

The replacement deadline is:

October 6, 2026.

After that, continuing to use one of the revoked devices could lead to a citation and your driver being placed out of service.

Using one current ELD price as an example, replacement hardware could be around:

$125 for one truck.

$1,250 for ten trucks.

Or:

$6,250 for fifty trucks.

But the most expensive ELD might not be the one you have to buy.

It might be the revoked one you decided not to replace.

Because $125 hurts a little.

A loaded truck sitting beside the road making zero dollars per mile?

That hurts a lot more.