As per the FMCSA’s latest ELD rule, every commercial vehicle must install ELD by December 18, 2017, or else it will not be compliant. But compliance is not the only reason why fleets are turning to ELD. You can leverage this technology to automate operations, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maximize profits.
ELDs have completely transformed the way businesses manage their fleets. It allows fleet managers to track a driver’s performance, detect vehicle faults, and much more. Before we get into the benefits of using ELDs in commercial motor vehicles, let us understand what they are and how they work.
What Are ELDs?
An ELD or electronic logging device is a simple piece of hardware that records vital information regarding a commercial motor vehicle on the road. It is designed in such a way that it provides real-time data about the driver’s performance, location, vehicle status, and much more.
In addition, below are some of the most important information that an ELD provides.
- Driver’s record of duty status (RODS)
- Hours of service (hos)
- Operation time, parked hours of the truck
- Driver’s behavior like speeding and cornering
All the data collected by the ELD is utilized by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This data helps in preventing road accidents and ensuring driver safety along with other business objectives.
Why Make Your Fleet ELD Compliant?
Many successful businesses that are already using ELD solutions in their fleets claim that their overall efficiency has increased significantly, and their operations are streamlined like never before.
Apart from the FMCSA’s final rule, an ELD offers many benefits to businesses and fleet managers. Read on to know the most prominent reasons to make your fleet ELD compliant today.
Minimize Admin Workload
Earlier, administrative work used to take a lot of time in manually recording, saving, and storing hours of service. One of the best features of an ELD is the ability to track and record the movement of your vehicles.
It allows businesses to operate without administrative burden and with minimum paperwork. It saves a lot of time that you can be investing in other important areas of business.
Better Tracking & Route Management
One of the best features that an ELD offers is the real-time GPS location tracking, allowing fleet managers to stay updated. It allows them to help drivers discover and use the shortest route that ultimately saves fuel and time. Better route management can help you streamline your operations without burning a hole in your pockets.
Ensure Driver Safety
Commercial motor vehicles that use ELD compliance solutions are much safer on the road as compared to others. An ELD prevents numerous accidents with features like GPS tracking, identifying driver fatigue, behavior, and other factors. According to an estimation by FMCSA, ELDs will prevent more than 500 road injuries every year.
Reduce Maintenance Costs
ELDs are capable of detecting any fault or mechanical failure of any part of the vehicle in real-time. It notifies fleet managers about ongoing problems so that required actions can be taken on time. It also helps in scheduling the regular maintenance checks, which prevent expensive last-minute emergency repairs.
Lower Insurance Premiums
Insurance companies offer lower premiums rates to the commercial motor vehicles that have ELDs installed in them as they are much safer than others on the road. Due to the real-time tracking of the vehicle location, the risk of theft or hijacking is far less compared to the others. It helps insurance companies ensure lower risks so that they can offer better rates.
Identify Bad Driving Behaviors
One of the revolutionary features of an ELD is that it can help you track the unprofessional driving behaviors like speeding, hard braking, or cornering. It allows fleet managers to identify the worst-performing drivers and help them improve with proper training.
Better Legal Protection
Commercial motor vehicles get involved in a lot of accidents and legal problems due to complex insurance claims and other formalities. However, having an ELD installed on your vehicle can help you fight any false claims and get better legal protection in any accident case.
Real-Time Vehicle Diagnostics
ELDs actively monitor the faults in the vehicles and share real-time data with the fleet managers. This helps you stay ahead of maintenance issues as you get a detailed report about your vehicles. The real-time vehicle diagnostics help you boost productivity and improve your fleet risk management.
Higher Profits
ELD helps in cutting the operational costs by reducing admin’s work, which in return helps in generating a higher profit. ELDs also helps in saving fuel and time with the help of better route management that leaves a positive impact on your balance sheet.
Apart from cutting costs, ELDs help in streamlining the operations for best performance, which helps in making more money for the business.
Choosing The Right ELD Provider For Your Fleet
With the availability of so many vehicle tracking devices in the market, choosing the right ELD for your fleet can be overwhelming. Choosing the wrong ELD provider can damage your business in many ways. Read on to know about the top things to consider before making your final purchase decision.
- Make sure the provider is listed under FMCSA’s list of registered ELDs
- Check the number of customers and solution partners of the ELD provider
- Check company structure, years in business, and worldwide ranking of the provider
- Look for their commitment toward research and development
- Check the provider’s credibility and reputation in the market
Choosing the right ELD that meets all the technological requirements for your fleet takes time. Apart from the above-mentioned points, make sure the ELDs meet all the requirements for business operation as well so that you don’t regret later.
Conclusion
These are some of the most prominent ways in which an ELD (electronic logging device) can help you with fleet management. What began for compliance with the final ELD rule, these electronic logging devices serve many different purposes. ELDs are one of the best developments that have opened the door to new possibilities in transportation and logistics.
