The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has approved Teletrac Navman‘s electronic logbook, Sentinel, for use by New Zealand commercial truck drivers.

Sentinel helps truck drivers to comply with New Zealand law regarding work and rest periods by maintaining accurate and up-to-date records, as well as sending alerts of when the next rest break is required.

“With the introduction of Sentinel, we‘re bringing another NZTA-approved electronic solution to New Zealand operators,” says Ian Daniel, vice president Teletrac Navman, Asia Pacific. “Electronic technology, such as the Sentinel logbook, supports drivers and operators to operate safely and in compliance with regulations. Our aim is to offer a full suite of technology to connect drivers and their vehicles – giving businesses data-based insights which they can use to improve both driver safety and overall productivity.”

The Sentinel driver logbook has been available in the Australian market since 2007 and has in excess of 15,000 users. The electronic logbook approval adds to Teletrac Navman‘s existing suite of transport solutions, including its electronic RUC solution, RUC Manager, which was released last year.

To receive NZTA approval, electronic systems providers must go through a rigorous development and testing process to prove the quality and reliability of the system. There is a standard set of minimum requirements that an electronic logbook must possess before it can be approved by both the NZTA and the New Zealand Police. These requirements include: 

• Recording the date, time and location where each entry is made.
• Warning drivers if the previous legal worktime maximums have been exceeded, but does not preclude entry of this data.
• Displaying a notice that the logbook is for the sole use of the driver registered to use that logbook.
• Being able to receive and apply any software updates that may be required as a result of future changes to legislation (e.g. where there are changes to a maximum number of hours that may be worked in a given period).