Vehicle data and driver association for transportation management

1. A portable wireless data transfer and display device comprising:

a user interface;

a communication module;

a display;

a short-range wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate two ways with a data acquisition device mounted inside a vehicle when in close proximity to the data acquisition device and receive vehicle data from the data acquisition device,

wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to accept inputs of driver information from a user via the user interface and transmit the driver information to the data acquisition device, the driver information affecting hours of service records for drivers associated with the portable wireless data transfer and display device,

wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to associate the inputs of driver information with the vehicle data and generate a driver summary electronic report with the associated vehicle data and driver information; and

a long-range wireless communication module configured to send the driver summary electronic report through the communication module to a remote network device, via a long-range wireless network,

wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to process the vehicle data, the driver information, and driver communications into an electronic driver scorecard, the electronic driver scorecard including one or more alphanumerical ratings according to a selection of drivers, and

wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is further configured to present at least one of: the electronic driver scorecard, the vehicle data, the driver information, processed data, driver communications, or the driver summary electronic report to the user via the display.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to wirelessly communicate the driver summary electronic report with at least one remote network device or other portable wireless data transfer and display device via the short-range wireless communication module.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the elements of the portable wireless data transfer and display device comprises cellular phone device that displays the hours of service information, the hours of service information being updated in response to wirelessly receiving vehicle usage information from the data acquisition device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless communication module is a Bluetooth wireless communication module.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device wirelessly receives at least the vehicle usage information from the data acquisition device via the short-range wireless communication module and the data acquisition device wirelessly sends confirmation of receipt of the vehicle usage information to the portable wireless display unit.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device wirelessly communicates via the short range wireless communication module, at predetermined times, with the data acquisition device when the data acquisition device is mounted in the vehicle and the portable wireless data transfer and display device is in close proximity to the vehicle.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the long-range wireless network is selected from a group consisting of:

a cellular network;

a satellite communication link;

a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMax) link; and

a long term evolution (LTE).

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is further configured to receive processed data via the communication module from the remote network device via the long-range wireless network.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is further configured to send driver communications via a communication module to at least one of: other portable wireless data transfer and display device, remote computer via the long-range wireless network.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is further configured to receive driver communication via the communication module from at least one of: other portable wireless data transfer and display device, remote computer via the long-range wireless network.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to download and independently install configuration updates from the remote network device via an installation module.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured for storage of vehicle data, driver information, driver communications, processed data, and remote network device updates via memory.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to wirelessly transmit the driver summary electronic report to a remote computer via a wireless network.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless data transfer and display device is configured to send the driver summary electronic report through the communication module to the remote network device via the long-range wireless network at predetermined times.

15. A method for data transfer and display comprising:

wirelessly receiving, via a short-range wireless communication module, vehicle data from a data acquisition device mounted inside a vehicle for gathering vehicle data from the vehicle during operation of the vehicle;

accepting inputs of driver information from a user via a user interface and transmitting the driver information to the data acquisition device, the driver information affecting hours of service records for drivers associated with the portable wireless data transfer and display device;

associating the inputs of driver information with the vehicle data;

generating a driver summary electronic report with the associated vehicle data and driver information;

sending the driver summary electronic report through a long range wireless communication module to a remote network device via a long-range wireless network;

processing the vehicle data, the driver information, and driver communications into an electronic driver scorecard, the electronic driver scorecard including one or more alphanumerical ratings according to a selection of drivers; and

presenting at least one of the electronic driver scorecard, the vehicle data, the association of the vehicle data, the driver information, and the driver summary electronic report to the user.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the short-range wireless communication module is a Bluetooth wireless communication module.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein sending the driver summary electronic report through the long-range wireless communication module to the remote network device via the long-range wireless network occurs at predetermined times.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

receiving the vehicle data includes receiving a unique vehicle identification of the vehicle, and

the association of the vehicle data and the driver information includes the vehicle identification.