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DDL Commercial Version:
There is a Commercial Version of DDL called "iTruck" Log Audit
software sold and supported by:
Transport Data Systems Inc
130 West 2nd
Street South
P O Box 657
Brookings, SD 57006-0657
To find out more call or visit the
Web site below.
EMAIL:
tdsinc@brookings.net
INTERNET WEB ADDRESS:
http://www.transportdatasystemsinc.com
DDL already has the 'self auditing' features which
make it a useful software tool for the motor carrier which will be receiving log
files that will be transmitted from the 'on board' computers. Safety
department auditors can assume that violations in logs have already been
detected by DDL and that the driver is already aware of the violations, and that
the auditors only need to remind the driver of those violations.
Also, if the driver uses DDL to 'log' fuel and tolls, then DDL
can be used to verify driver's duty status and location.
DDL is also ready for 'minute' by 'minute' electronic logs,
i.e. DDL supports duty status records to the minute as an option. Normal
operation is duty status records to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes). The
minute logs option can be set via a Settings parameter. This feature can
be turned on via the DDL Settings (menu Edit/Settings Log Sheet 1 tab and look
for Minute Logs check box.
It is now time to take DDL to the next 'level'. Further 'value' needs to
be added to DDL so a commercial product can be introduced. These features
will distinguish the new DDL from the current freeware version:
1. Connect DDL to truck engine control computers to obtain odometer
information for speed and mileage. A SAE J1708 standard exists for a
data network and packet specification that seems to be adopted by the heavy
truck (class 8) industry as a way to transmit and access the required odometer
information. An RS 232 to J1708 adapter (about $60) is necessary to
connect a laptop with a serial port to the truck network.
2. Connect DDL to a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and associated
mapping software to obtain truck location information. The preferred
way is to interface to a mapping software program (server) to obtain current
truck location information as a 'place' i.e. town and state/province. The
mapping software will be 'connected' to the GPS receiver and will import
position information as Longitude and Latitude which is then converted to a
'place' for the driver's logs. The GPS industry uses a National Maritime
Electronics Association (NMEA) standard NMEA-018x as a way to
'transmit' GPS information from a GPS receiver to a computer 'client' via RS 232
serial interface. Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces to GPS receivers
is also expected in the near future.
3. Connect DDL to the Internet via 'wireless' technology so driver logs can be
transmitted in digital form directly to motor carrier computers for storage and
possible log audit. This is the most confusing part of the 'puzzle'.
There are several 'players' in this industry, each trying to establish their way
as the 'standard'. The goal from a trucking industry perspective is to
pick a system with wide coverage over the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The
interface from a software point of view should be a 'layer' over the internet
protocol (TCP/IP) interface so the actual hardware and wireless protocol is
'invisible' to the DDL software module to be developed for this function.
DDL v2.23 implements a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) module
so drivers can create simple email and attach log data files. Windows
Winsock.dll provides most of the API used in the DDL implementation.
Wininet.dll provides the Dial-up Connection interface.
4. Connect DDL to touch screen, voice recognition interface, or
similar input devices for quick duty status record entry by truck driver.
Microsoft
is finally entering 'voice recognition' area of computer input and will probably
become the 'standard' way to accomplish this. A Software Development Kit
(SDK) is available from Microsoft to accomplish this function.
5. Implement 'digital signatures' when transmitting logs from
on-board computer to carrier's computer. This will insure log data
integrity and will ensure the identity of the driver submitting the logs.
This should be an improvement over the current requirement for paper logs with a
driver's signature which ensures that the logs do indeed represent the driver's
original logs and have not been 'tampered' with by another party.
Digital Signature Example:
If two parties wish to exchange a message which has been digitally signed,
they will follow certain steps. These steps are invisible to the user because
they are performed automatically by the software. Let us assume that Harry
wishes to send a signed document to Dianne. Harry will take the following
steps:
1. Harry composes the document.
2. Harry runs the document through a one-way hash function (such as MD5) to
create a "hash result."
3. Harry signs the "hash result" of the document using his private
key and employing public key encryption technology such as RSA.
4 .Harry combines the document with the signature to obtain a new signed
document.
5. Harry sends the signed document to Dianne.
Upon receipt of the document, Dianne can read the document, but cannot be
sure that the document has not been altered or that it comes from Harry. To
confirm that the document comes from Harry and has not been altered, she takes
the following steps:
1. Dianne separates the document from the signature.
2. Dianne runs the document through the same one-way hash function (such as
MD5) used by Harry to obtain a "hash result" for the document.
3. Dianne gets Harry's public key either from a key ring on the Internet or
from a Certification Authority (see below).
4. Dianne uses Harry's public key to decrypt Harry's signature (once again a
public key encryption algorithm, such as RSA).
5. Dianne compares the "hash result" derived from decrypting Harry's
digital signature with the "hash result" for the document which she
generated herself. If the "hash results" are the same, then she can
be confident that the document was sent by Harry and that it has not
been altered. However, if the "hash result" is different,
then she rejects the document.
As this example indicates, a digital signature has advantages over a
written signature: a digital signature is linked to the document itself and
will vary depending on the document. On the other hand, a written signature
may be copied from one document to another one.
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