Extra Mile International (EMI), the Serbian-American 207-truck Orland Park, Illinois motor carrier, stands accused of running a massive hours of service cheating scheme through a series of electronic logging devices.
The carrier faces a contempt hearing in April, as the fleet has failed to produce records responding to the allegations that it used now-revoked ELDs to cheat on hours of service compliance, records from the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois show.
Court documents examined:
- A deposition of Nikola Mihailovic, managing partner at EMI, claimed EMI can't access HOS records but admitted to owning the Serbian dispatch company that can.
- Declarations from about a half a dozen former drivers with sworn statements showing evidence EMI maintained a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Telegram where drivers could get extra hours added to their logs.
- Questioned about the case docs by Overdrive, an EMI rep suggested the drivers were disgruntled former employees, though noted he wasn't wasn't working for EMI at the time of incidents drivers described.
The particular pattern of HOS cheating, with drivers getting extra hours yet electronic records of duty status showing pristine compliance, fits a trend Overdrive has reported on since July of 2025.
This type of ELD tampering has since become an out-of-service violation, but it's extremely hard to detect for roadside inspectors.
Drivers' sworn declarations making the allegations against EMI include screenshots of conversations that show log books being reset.
Among examples in court records.
“I accessed Telegram on my phone device and communicated with individuals representing themselves as the Log Department for EMI and these representatives communicated to me instructions for loads I was assigned, hours of service and changing my electronic hours of service logs.”
Another states, “I was instructed by my EMI assigned dispatcher to download Telegram so he could add me to the group where EMI could ‘fix’ my hours.”
And another: “I was told that Telegram would be used for conversations regarding HOS, 34-hour breaks, safety, and compliance. They also told me they could reset my 70 hours over Telegram without my having to take a 34-hour reset. I was informed if I had questions pertaining to the HOS to reach out via Telegram.”
One driver complained about the legality of “fixing” log books. All drivers state they were fired and removed from the Telegram group chat at some point between 2024 and 2025.
The allegations and screenshots implicate ELD providers Phoenix ELD and Log365, both with common ownership. Phoenix was recently removed from FMCSA's registered devices list for not meeting ELD specifications. Log365 never even self-certified as an ELD provider, records show.
On May 29, 2025, the court ordered EMI and Phoenix to preserve all HOS records and the discussion of them on Telegram.
EMI’s legal counsel responded that it could not preserve those records because the “use of Phoenix ELD’s platform is governed by a user license agreement in which Phoenix ELD is the sole owner and controller ... including Telegram-based messaging features which may exist within the application.”
In August, before Mihailovic’s deposition, EMI’s counsel responded to a special interrogation that “no employees or individual associated with EMI have knowledge of any deletion of Telegram communications, as they are outsourced to Expedite Logistics, a Serbia based entity.”
But at Mihailovic’s deposition just weeks later, he said that he’s the sole owner of Expedited Logistics (after clarifying that his team had misspelled it as “Expedite Logistics” previously).
“I don’t work at the Expedited Logistics. I’m just listed as the owner,” he explained in the deposition. “I have no involvement other than just having ownership of it.”
He further claimed to make no money off it, and said it’s “just a corporation that ... we can, you know, use to be able to outsource dispatch service in Serbia.”
Mihailovic stated he didn’t know when EMI stopped using Phoenix, and that he couldn’t recall if Log365 had ever even charged the fleet any money. At one point, he said he thought Log365 was a call center or dispatcher for Phoenix.
A lawyer representing the drivers asked Mihailovic this question: “Have any representatives of Log365 LLC ever had any access to modify or potentially falsify any ELD information that was maintained by Phoenix ELD LLC, for EMI?”
“Honestly, I don't know,” Mihailovic answered in the deposition.
The lawyer's next question: “Can you deny whether or not Log365 LLC had access to EMI driver logs to modify or potentially falsify them that were maintained by Phoenix ELD LLC?”
“I’m not sure, no,” said Mihailovic.
“Did Log365 LLC ever charge EMI any amount of money for services to EMI?” The lawyer asked.
“Not that I recall,” Mihailovic responded.
“Okay. So were you ever surprised you were getting free services from Log365 LLC?,” the lawyer continued.
“Like I said, I don't -- I don't recall being charged or not being charged,” said Mihailovic. “I don’t know how to answer the question.”
[Related: ELD tampering in crosshairs for CVSA's annual Roadcheck blitz]
The legal team representing the drivers said Phoenix was linked to nine other ELDs that all share the same principal place of business in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and were organized by the same person. Some of the devices have had their certifications revoked by FMCSA, while others remain active.
- (REVOKED) Phoenix ELD
- (ACTIVE) Action ELD
- (ACTIVE) Dragon ELD
- (REVOKED) Robinhood ELD
- (REVOKED) Ironman ELD
- (REVOKED) Xtreme Log
- (ACTIVE) Red Fox ELD
- (ACTIVE) Royal ELD
- (ACTIVE) Zenith ELD
Overdrive contacted Phoenix ELD for comment on this story and did not hear back in time for publication.
A representative reached at EMI's safety department named Dan Micovic said that drivers are "not always happy when they’re leaving" and that they tell "all kinds of stories and assumptions" in an attempt to threaten the fleet with "no actual proof."
Asked about the use of Phoenix ELD, the resulting legal saga and the evidence delivered in declarations under oath, Micovic said he didn't work there at that time and didn't know anything about it.
Overdrive is aware of other big fleets in the Chicago area accused of similar tactics, has seen video evidence of logs tampering, and will continue to report.
Contact [email protected] with any tips.
