Five Electronic Logging Device Mandate Myths
By mid-December 2017, there will be a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandate for Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) in effect, and many trucking and specialized transport companies are worried about how it might affect them. ELDs are great tools for trucking companies, and the new mandate is intended to benefit the industry as a whole.
However, trucking companies that don’t fully understand ELDs might be confused by the new mandate, be unsure of how to adequately comply or generally misunderstand the purposes and effects of the devices overall. To help rectify this confusion before the mandate goes into effect, we wanted to clear up some of the myths surrounding ELDs and clarify how they can actually help your trucking company in Aurora, CO:
- They’re expensive: When ELDs were first introduced to the trucking industry, they were considered pretty expensive, as most new technology always is. However, with rapid technological advancement, ELDs are much more affordable than they used to be, costing an average of about $500 per truck. Plus, ELDs often result in major cost savings for trucking companies, which helps to balance out the cost of the investment.
- They’re complicated: ELDs are relatively simple to use and require little to no effort on the part of the driver in daily operations. They are one of the easiest and fastest ways to record things like speed, mileage and driving hours. All that’s required of the driver is to record when they are on or off duty or sleeping, and your data analysts can do the rest.
- They can auto-report to authorities: Some companies worry that ELDs can send data and violations directly to the government, potentially getting them in trouble. However, the data cannot be immediately accessed by the government or any authorities outside of the trucking company itself. Thus, violations and other data are not transmitted to the authorities unless paperwork is requested and funneled through the company.
- Only large companies can benefit: While it is true that a larger trucking company in Aurora, CO can save thousands of dollars or more each year by utilizing ELDs on their trucks, that doesn’t mean that small companies can’t benefit. ELDs are actually a great investment for smaller companies because they help cut costs and save extra money wherever possible, which can lead to greater business success.
- Smartphones work just as well: Although smartphones have a vast variety of capabilities and data recording options, they cannot function as an ELD on a freight vehicle. ELDs are able to automatically record data from the truck’s engine and transport it to the company’s servers, which are things that smartphones cannot accomplish.
If you need the services of a specialized transportation company, call Osage Specialized Transport. With over 40 years of industry experience, we provide customers with full-service transportation and logistics for specialized transport throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. You won’t find a better trucking company in Aurora, CO to meet your heavy haul transport needs with the same level of reliability and customer service! Give us a call today.
