Eyes on the prizeb776141bb4b7592b6152-dbef5d8ae260c3bb21474ba0e94bcba6.r94… · Overdrive sister business RigDig Business Intelligence, its database of verified ... “The ELD impact

30 | Overdrive | December 2016

Cherryville, N.C.-based independent Tim Hepler is proud of his 1998 Volvo 770,

powered by a newly rebuilt Caterpillar 3406E. Asked if he’d noticed any shift in the market for pre-2000 model-year trucks in the wake of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic logging device mandate final rule, he slapped a price on his truck: “$150,000

now, and it will go up as December 2017 gets closer.”

That’s the compliance date for the ELD mandate, which exempts all own-ers of 1999 and older model-year trucks from compliance (based on the chassis Vehicle Identification Number, not the engine’s model year). While Hepler was being facetious with his offer, such sentiment has been a staple of com-ment boards and conversations with truck owners this past year as the com-pliance date has drawn closer and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers

Association’s efforts to overturn the man-date have been unsuccessful.

There’s evidence of some movement in the last year toward older trucks by the smallest of fleets. According to Overdrive sister business RigDig Business Intelligence, its database of verified Class 8 trucks on the road today saw the share of pre-2000 trucks owned by one- to four-truck fleets grow by more than a percentage point in the past 12 months.

During most of that period, a wait-and-see mode prevailed among most owner-operators, since it wasn’t until

Pre-2000 trucks take on a new luster as a way out of the ELD mandate. Now might be the best time to beat the expected spike in prices. BY TODD DILLS

Eyes on the prize THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTPART 1: EXEMPTION

December 2016 | Overdrive | 31

Oct. 31 that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ELD mandate. At press time, OOIDA planned to press the appeals court for a rehearing.

Among the 5 percent of Overdrive read-ers who’ve already put older vehicles into service since the mandate was announced is David Morin, owner of Z-Tranz, a Morganton, N.C.-based small fleet. Prior to the mandate being introduced, the owner-operator had four trucks, “two

1999 models, one 2000 and one 2001.” Though Morin was somewhat confi-

dent that broad opposition to the man-date at the time of its release might lead to its repeal, fear of the unknown with ELDs set in quickly. When the chance arose early this year to buy an additional ’99 model, he jumped at it.

A private party was selling the Western Star. “It needed a good amount of work,” Morin says, but at least “the motor sup-

posedly had been rebuilt.” New head gas-kets and other evidence gave him some confidence in the seller’s claim.

The work he put into it before introduc-ing it into his fleet included “a bunch of small things” to start, and more after its first big run. Months later, with the unit in service and about $20,000 spent on parts and his time for the fixup, he feels like the seller was telling the truth about the rebuild. “It doesn’t use any oil,” he says.

A $20,000 investment is not an insub-stantial amount for a truck of that age, Hepler believes. About his own 1998 Volvo, he says, “Normally a truck like this, because of the age on it, might be worth between $3,000 and $5,000. But since this one’s been well kept up, it’d probably be worth a little more – $10,000 at the most” – in a normal market.

But that era of engines is already in higher demand, given minimal emissions equipment, says Chris Visser, National Auto Dealers Association senior analyst and product manager. “EPA ’98 and earlier trucks still in solid, usable condi-tion are already bringing strong money in non-emissions regions due to their simplicity, fuel economy and reliability. The ELD cutoff will further increase

Who’s running the old trucksShares of pre-2000 model-year Class 8 truck population, last 12 months

1 to 4 power units 42.1%5 to 9 18%10 to 19 12.8%20 to 49 10.6%

50 to 99 5%100 to 249 4.6%250 to 499 2.3%500+ 4.6%

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Where older trucks are migrating

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If you compare fleets’ shares of pre-2000 model-year Class 8 trucks over the last 12 months versus the last 24 months, only the smallest fleets show an increased share. The chart reflects change in percentage points; the share for one-to-four-truck fleets rose 1.4 points to 42.1 percent.

1-4 5-9 10-19 20-49 50-99 100-249 250-499 500+

Are you in the market for a pre-2000 model-year truck to avoid ELDs?

BUYERS AND SELLERS: Among the 35 percent of respondents who noted they already operated a pre-2000 truck in this poll at OverdriveOnline.com in November, 5 percent said they’d purchased a 1999 or older model in the past year since the ELD mandate’s introduction. Among those who answered No, 2 percent noted they had such a truck that they were looking to sell.

YES: 39%

Not sure6%I already operate a pre-2000 truck 35%

NO 20%

I will look for one only if mandate challenges fail 11%

I’m looking for one now 22%

I’ll look for one in 2017 6%

Overdriveonline.com poll

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David Morin bought this 1999 Western Star early in 2016, anticipating the ELD mandate. He invested about $20,000 in buying the truck and prepping it for service.


EYES ON THE PRIZEdemand for remaining trucks in usable condition.”

As the ELD mandate gets closer, Hepler wouldn’t be surprised to see “older trucks like this going to $30K to $50K retail, especially aerodynamic trucks with electronic motors. Those will be not just gold but diamonds, and might go even higher.”

Morin agrees. “Right up close to the mandate, demand will go through the roof, and there’ll be price-gouging.”

Presenting at the Used Truck Association’s annual conference in November, Steve Tam of ACT Research predicted some private carriers and owner-operators will go for pre-2000 trucks. “The ELD impact should be a small positive” for the used truck market in 2017’s fourth quarter, Tam said.

Avondale Partners’ Donald Broughton, also speaking at the UTA conference, likewise expected some increased demand for pre-2000 tractors next year. He believed the number of owner-operators who will purchase spe-cifically due to the mandate isn’t high.

Overdrive’s November polling results suggest a different assessment: 39 per-cent of readers indicated they are look-ing for a 1999 or older unit or would be by next year unless the mandate is overturned.

UTA President Craig Kendall, also president of Peterbilt of Knoxville in Tennessee, still sees strong demand for pre-2004 pre-EGR engines in “the right spec and useful mileage.” A couple of

Dealer and market-analyst sources report little in the way of information on retail sales of pre-2000 model-year trucks. So it’s difficult to accurately gauge whether prices were affected by the introduction of the ELD mandate final rule, containing the pre-2000 model-year exemption.

However, even with notable month-to-month changes, wholesale auction data for the past two years show that the older truck prices have declined at a slower rate than the newer trucks. The graph shows a narrowing difference

between average prices for 1995-99 and 2000-04 trucks in some of the months since the mandate’s introduction in December 2015. The data comes from Overdrive sister equipment-auction information purveyor TopBid.com.

Auctions can be a source for a big selection of older trucks. As with any truck purchase, be certain you can document major maintenance and other vehicle-history considerations such as engine hours, mileage, application of use and more.

OLDER TRUCKS HOLDING VALUE BETTER SINCE ELD ANNOUNCEMENT

That’s the overall pre-2000-truck share of total oper-

ating Class 8s on the road today, according to RigDig Business Intelligence, a sister business of Overdrive. Such small numbers – and smaller non-ELD carriers’ control of more than half of the pre-2000 units – leads FTR Transportation Intelligence COO Jonathan Starks to conclude that the market for such vehicles “will be very sparse. If somebody has an old truck that is in that good of shape and they don’t like the ELD rule, they aren’t selling.”

11.8%

$18,000

$17,000

$16,000

$15,000

$14,000

$13,000

$12,000

$11,000

$10,000

$9,000

$8,000

$7,000

FMCSA introduced the ELD mandate with its pre-2000 model year exemption Dec. 9, 2015.

1995-99 model-year trucks at auction, average price

2000-04 model-year trucks at auction, average price

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Used truck prices


EYES ON THE PRIZErecent anecdotes from sales representa-tives have told the story of “customers talking about even older trucks to avoid electronic logging devices.”

Kendall says his dealership cautions buyers about financing. Even with a 2007 truck, he says “there aren’t as many finance sources, and rates aren’t near as good as on a newer used truck.” Mileage on a 10-year-old unit is often 800,000-900,000 or more, and closer to 1.5 to 2 million on a 1999. The increased cost of operation and maintenance for such a truck is a lot “just to avoid electronic logs.”

Landstar-leased owner-operator Gary Buchs agrees. “If operators rush in and then they run into a huge maintenance problem,” disaster would be the result, he says. “One of the biggest reasons people fail is that they get hit with a dev-astating bill for maintenance.”

Morin says that with any pre-2000 truck, it’d be safe to assume the need to rebuild the engine, up to a $20,000 investment or a lot of time if you’re per-forming most of the work yourself.

Also consider the overall cost of oper-ating older equipment, Buchs says. “It could easily far outstrip how much e-logs might cut into their ability to operate.”

An easy way to find out the latter would be to download one of the non-engine-connected apps that will give you the abil-ity to game your operation on e-logs with-out making a full investment. BigRoad, KeepTruckin and others have basic log book apps that can allow you to easily simulate an ELD environment, though you’ll have to manually key in all changes in duty status just like on a paper log.

Kendall ultimately believes the rush to ELD-exempt trucks may never mate-rialize in a significant way, particularly as more owner-operators not in ELD-exempt trucks today get over the “fear of the unknown” that is trucking with e-logs. “Some of the feedback that I’ve gotten from company drivers and owner-operators is that at first, e-logs can feel constrictive, but once you get used to it, you don’t want to go back to keeping paper logs.”

Morin, for his part, remains categori-cally opposed to the ELD mandate. He makes a variety of arguments against it, believing it amounts to a prejudicial rul-ing. All of Z-Tranz’ trucks are well-main-tained, he says, and “have gone through in-frame overhauls. All the ABS systems are kept in working order as well. We

have invested a lot of money and time into the two trucks that will fall under the mandate — the 2000 and 2001.”

He believes the mandate renders these trucks useless to him for resale, with little chance of being in demand. “Although they are in good working order, no one will buy them due to the mandate.”

Over the last decade, many larger fleets have adopted ELDs for two reasons:

• The advantages – productivity, reduced violations and more – were worth the costs.

• The fleets expected a government mandate and other industry pressures, so they decided to convert on their own timetable.

The same rationales might well affect owner-operators, as some observers see it.

While many owner-operators continue to resist ELD use, in some cases pinning their hopes on the pre-2000 truck exemption, re-maining a holdout could prove problematic.

Some shippers may favor ELD use over paper once the mandate is in place, says Craig Kendall, president of the Used Truck Association. Referencing specifically hazmat loads and their enhanced security/safety needs, he says, “Government might not require ELDs, but for the hazmat haul-ers not using the electronic logs, maybe their customers will dictate it.”

FTR Transportation Intelligence Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Starks extends this view from shipper customers to bro-kers. Within 24 months of the ELD mandate going into effect, he believes, “nearly ev-eryone will need an ELD, whether they like it or not, purely from a market standpoint.” Starks believes shippers and brokers will

require ELDs and/or other functions, such as real-time tracking, that are satisfied easily by having one installed.

Presenters at Truckstop.com’s recent Connected 2016 conference underscored this view. Drew Herpich, a leader in Coyote’s Carrier Sales and Operations unit, noted that technology-enabled services such as Uber in the taxi space are “changing the entire landscape” of customer expectations. “If you’re not jumping on technology, you’re going to fall behind.”

Among shipper customers, real-time tracking is a function that’s hitting the trucking mainstream in an exponentially increasing way, Herpich and others say. However, simple smartphone apps can pro-vide such a service to brokers and shippers without ELD assistance, including the “Load Track” function in Overdrive’s own Trucker Tools app.

Carriers leasing owner-operators may be likely to require leased drivers to run with ELDs, even if the truck’s model year means it’s exempt. In a survey of fleet owners taken in the months following the mandate’s release, 70 percent of fleets with more than 10 trucks indicated they’d require ELDs on pre-2000 trucks owned by their leased owner-operators if mechanically feasible.

IS THE ELD EXEMPTION SIMPLY DELAYING THE INEVITABLE?

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Tim

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Tim Hepler’s 1998 Volvo 770 primarily moves trailers, often on lanes between Hepler’s Charlotte, N.C.-area home region and Florida. He uses laptop program Driver’s Daily Log, long popular with owner-operators, for his recordkeeping and has no plans to move to an ELD with the mandate in December 2017.

February 2017 | Overdrive | 33

Some are predicting “the mother of all capacity shortages,” result-ing in significantly rising rates. The source of this looming cri-

sis: the electronic logging device mandate. If it’s not pushed back or scrapped,

the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final ELD rule requires virtually all interstate operators of com-mercial trucks that are year 2000 or newer models to use an engine-connected ELD on and after Dec. 18. It’s expected

productivity will drop, with at least a tem-porary shortage of capacity as the supply chain tries to adjust to a world where logs aren’t fudged to accommodate routine scheduling problems.

The ELD transition isn’t likely to be

ELDs’ early adopters

THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTPART 2: ADAPTATION

Jam

es Ja

illet

The e-log track record shows productivity challenges for owner-operators, as well as opportunities BY TODD DILLS

Dozens of ELD products are available for owner-operators and fleets. See a complete chart comparing price and features, as well as other ELD coverage, at OverdriveOnline.com/ELDs.

34 | Overdrive | February 2017

ELDS’ EARLY ADOPTERS

the huge boon to rates and pricing that many have expected or anticipated, sug-gests the Stifel company’s Transportation and Logistics group. It issued a November report to investors that included notes from a conference call with a representative of the Transplace 3PL/brokerage about this subject.

The larger fleets surveyed by Transplace reported productivity declines of 3 to 6 percent with ELDs, Stifel reported. Some regained it after operational changes were made to

adjust. At least some smaller fleets were thought to have experienced greater declines, though anecdotes abound of beefing up office operations to help plan better runs to combat the problem.

Eight in every 10 larger fleets (defined in the report as 250 trucks or more) were using ELDs, Stifel wrote, while “only 33 percent of smaller fleets had fully imple-mented.” For the smallest one-truck fleets among Overdrive’s core audience, most recent estimations show an even smaller share having moved to imple-ment a fully engine-connected e-log unless they were leased to a fleet where it was required or encouraged.

Montana-based owner-operator Chuck Shaffer is among the latter, hav-ing transitioned in mid-2014. Shaffer, who hauls in a 2007 Volvo 780, says that his live-load flatbed operation might have suffered more than a 6 per-cent decline in productivity. When the e-log was new to his operation, missed load opportunities became something of a norm due to hours. Such issues might not be as apparent – or at least less dramatic – in drop-and-hook or more quick-load operations, he guessed, given they “don’t have to sit at a dock waiting,” eating up hours within their 14-hour daily on-duty maximum with idle time.

Shaffer says he’s “not one that did ‘cre-ative writing’ in the last 10 to 15 years. But with the current rules the way they are,” with rigid constraints on hitting the pause button for very long on the 14-hour on-duty clock to extend drive time, going electronic has firmed up that rigidity, with occasionally costly results.

Shaffer says he suffered a $20,000 revenue hit between 2014 and 2015, but fuel’s dramatic falloff in price and concurrent surcharge-revenue declines likely accounted for a lot of it — and his decline is well in line with industry aver-ages. Based on DAT’s surcharge tracking by segment and ATBS’ owner-operator income averages, the surcharge decline from 51 cents/mile to 28 cents/mile between 2014 and 2015 represents a 13

percent revenue-per-mile decline, figured as a percentage of 2014 revenue for the average flatbedder.

The three independents examined below say they did not experience sig-nificant revenue effects following adop-tion of fully engine-connected electronic hours recording. Though all experienced a learning curve, benefits also have been seen, such as time saved and efficiencies from new back-office tools.

ELDs and the ‘quagmire’ of undue detentionRico Muhammad knew the challenges associated with the e-log environment before he ever made the transition. Using the BigRoad smartphone logging app, he simulated an e-log operation before converting in 2015 to engine-connected e-logs with Rand McNally’s TND760 fleet edition ($550-$700, about $20/month).

He runs two trucks, himself operat-ing a 2002 Kenworth T2000 out of Atlanta. In recent times, after regular freight from a direct customer dried up, he turned back to using brokers via load boards to fill his trailers, occasion-ally supplemented with direct freight. Muhammad echoes Chuck Shaffer’s concerns about the impact dock delays

Rico Muhammad, Atlanta: reefer

Part 1 of this series, published in the December 2016 issue, addressed perhaps the biggest exemption to FMCSA’s ELD requirement of import to owner-operators: the exclusion of 1999 and older model-year trucks from complying. Other exemptions exist, however, for the following groups:

• Drivers in drive-away/tow-away operations, where the vehicle be-ing driven is the commodity being delivered.

• Drivers operating under the timecard exception to the hours re-cording rules – the 100- and 150-air-mile radius short-haul exceptions – exclusively.

Hotshot flatbed owner-operator Buster Lewis’ business is such that, occasionally, he doesn’t technically need to keep a logbook under the hours regulations, given he mostly stays well within a 150-air-mile radius. However, as he notes, he’s keeping logs for well more than an eight-day time threshold that the ELD final rule specified for such opera-tors, the final exempted class:

• Drivers who do occasionally keep a log book but do not do so for more than eight days in any 30-day period.

For more on the pre-2000 model-year exemption from the mandate, search “Eyes on the prize” at OverdriveOnline.com, or see the December 2016 issue.

THE SHORT-HAUL AND OTHER ELD EXEMPTIONS


have on the bottom line. He’d like to see more flexibility in the

hours regulations around the 14-hour daily on-duty maximum, “if you could stop the 14-hour other than taking an 8-and-2 split.” As with many owner-operators, he looks back with favor on the days of 10 on, eight off.

In reefer, getting loaded and unloaded is still a major problem, he says, as is “trying to get people to agree to deten-

tion terms.” Not that a little additional revenue itself is so valuable, but rather detention pay “should be used as a tool to avoid being detained. It doesn’t do me any good to be sitting there.”

Though e-logs enable Muhammad and other similarly equipped owner-operators to prove to shippers, receivers and brokers how long they’ve been at a facility, he’s not getting “a lot of mercy” out of them. “By going to these e-logs, we can prove that we were there,” but with so many operators still not using e-logs, inefficient shippers and receivers aren’t feeling across-the-board pressure to improve.

Truckers keep “giving away so much free labor,” he says. “Most guys still operate on the mentality of ‘I’ve got to get the load there, at whatever costs.’ That mentality has been exploited on the other end. Brokers and shippers know that drivers have been able to cover up a lot of their mishaps.”

Now, even as more large carriers and some small operations shift to e-logs, “truckers are still coming out on the short end of the stick,” says Muhammad, citing a recent situation where he was delayed 11 hours at a cold storage facility, throwing off his subse-quent commitments.

Undue detention can “kill all oppor-tunities to make a reload. … That’s

when you run into the whole quagmire” — damned if you do and damned if you don’t: Book a load when you can’t get to it in time because you’re “still not unloaded, and you’re looking like an idiot,” Muhammad says. “It hurts you as a businessperson.”

Don’t book a load, and you can ensure you’re sitting empty through yet another long off-duty period, with little productivity to show for the day.

E-log sticker merits easy time at weigh stationK&L Towing owner-operator Buster Lewis got his start in trucking in 1999. He was a tow operator, hauling cars locally and other freight farther with a straight truck rollback flatbed, today in a similarly equipped 2006 Freightliner Business Class.

On one of those early longer runs, a Georgia state trooper gave Lewis what amounted to an education in hours of service regulations. With his truck tagged at under 26,000 pounds, he didn’t need a CDL but, as he recalls, “didn’t realize I had to keep logs.”

That changed when a trooper at an Atlanta weigh station explained that when Lewis was out of the short-haul air-mile radius, he needed a log book just like every other commercial freight hauler.

Do you use any form of an electronic log?

No 82%

Yes, a smartphone app or laptop program, not connected to engine 7%

Yes, a fully engine-connected logging platform 11%

Among the leased one-truck owner-operators and multiple-truck small fleets responding to Overdrive’s 2016 operational survey, about a third reported engine-connected e-log use. Only 3 and 4 percent, respectively, of non-leased one-truck independents and small fleets reported using engine-connected e-logs.

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Owner-operator Rico Muhammad makes an important point about engine-connected e-log use for owner-operators hoping to maximize on-duty/drive time. “Get on top of making sure that everything is logged properly” the first time, he says.

Depending on your device and software, making edits on the fly may be cumber-some. All edits are recorded in the devices’ records, making it important that you use the “notes” sections to explain why the edit was made, as Muhammad points out. “Once you’re in that driving mode,” things get more complicated. To change any drive time, “you can’t do it in the user interface

in the truck. You have to log in to the ad-ministration portion” via your web-based portal to stored records.

As per the ELD final rule, the driver then has to “approve the modification that was made,” Muhammad says, noting that as an independent, he’s doing each on either end himself. He might let a minor error – say, remaining on-duty not driving longer than he really was at this or that stop, or logging off-duty when he was in the sleeper – stand in order to preserve a clean log.

He assumes lots of annotations and changes could invite closer scrutiny by

inspectors, and so far – knock on wood, Muhammad says – that hasn’t happened. “I’ve gotten inspected with it a couple of times. Usually when they see that it’s wired [to the engine], they don’t do a real comprehensive analysis of it” – unlike his experience running paper logs, thus saving some time at the scale house.

“They pretty much just say, ‘Let me see the summary page,’ ” showing his status relative to the 14-hour on-duty maximum, the 11 hours of maximum daily drive time and his cumulative hours limit of 70 hours in eight days.

When he had the BigRoad logging app on his phone, not connected to the engine’s electronic control module, inspectors “scru-tinized those logs a little heavier,” he says.

E-LOG EDITS AND THE ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT

36 | Overdrive | February 2017

ELDS’ EARLY ADOPTERS

“He kept us there and then took us down to a truck stop and showed us how to fill out a log book,” Lewis remembers.

Over the years, he dealt with paper logs when needed, being outside of the air-mile radius. Then he increasingly found himself keeping logs as the business shifted further toward long-haul freight.

Shortly after he got a contract hauling steel rebar from an area manufacturer, he came across an advertisement for Continental’s VDO RoadLog electronic log, the only dedicated e-log that does not come with a monthly service fee. The sim-plicity of the logging device – about $700 for installation in the truck and a program

on his desktop for transferring, review-ing and storing log data – was attractive. Likewise appealing was removing the hassle of keeping paper logs, not to men-tion the time saved on inspections.

A sticker on his truck advertising his use of the system has helped at weigh stations, Lewis says. Give officers plenty of opportunity to “notice you’ve got an electronic log on your truck,” and “they aren’t going to bother you.”

Operationally, the switch was simple for him, he says, given his mix of busi-ness usually allows him to be in and out of a dock in an hour or less. Maxing out the 14 hours of on-duty time is a non-issue, he says.

Saving time and hasslesThe biggest ELD hurdle for nine-truck JJ&T Trucking, says Jake Taylor, compa-ny co-owner with his wife, Christy, was less operational than technical. Learning the system that the Munith, Michigan-based fleet adopted three years ago when FedEx Ground required it of con-tractors, he says, presented a comfort-level issue for drivers and the back office. Ultimately, however, he describes it as simple and “not a big deal.”

Advantages of e-logs Overdrive 2016 operational survey (respondents could choose multiple answers)

Time saved allows focus on more important business

Prepares me for the mandate ahead of competition

Easily shared information makes it easy to collect detention

No advantages that I seeOther

43%

42%

34%

42%

11%

Among other benefits were reports of “no more interrogations at the scale house” with e-log use, in the words of one commenter. Others lauded time saved and positive operational impacts, including keeping “dispatchers honest,” forcing them and operators themselves to plan better runs.

Many saw either no net benefit or a safety negative in electronic logs, combined with setbacks in trip planning and back-office operations. One owner-operator reported: “I used to drive very conservative to get good mpg. Now I’m driving faster and driving in more dangerous conditions,” given the pressure to complete tasks within rigid hours constraints.

Buster Lewis, Gastonia, N.C.: hotshot flatbed

Lewis has enjoyed the simplicity of Continental’s VDO RoadLog and its absence of a monthly fee.


Drivers, including Taylor, learned quickly how to interact with the ISE Fleet Services eFleetSuite dedicated e-log units ($575, $24 monthly for a one-truck owner-operator), he adds. His regional operation didn’t suffer the kind of issues reported by Muhammad and Shaffer.

“We basically stick to Toledo (Ohio) and Chicago” as outbound destina-tions, in addition to hauling within Michigan. Because most drivers get home daily, six of the nine power units are daycabs. With so many dedicated runs, drivers got into an e-log routine similar to what they’d been doing on paper, Taylor says, well knowing “where it works best for them to take their break.”

The ISE system allows managers a window into operators’ progress, show-ing hours available and a lookback on the run in a map view. With much of the operation on the road overnight, it’s helped assure Taylor “that everything is running smoothly.”

With his operator hat on, Taylor says

the biggest advantage is time saved. “We get started during the day, and we just log on. At the end of the day, we log off, and we’re done.” No more filling out, reviewing and turning in logs.

That extends to the back office. As a FedEx contractor on paper logs, JJ&T

was required to pass them up the com-pliance chain. Now, everything happens electronically, with little direct involve-ment from the Taylors. “You don’t have to double-check drivers’ logs before turning them in,” a formerly time-con-suming process, Taylor says.

Jake Taylor of JJ&T Trucking, Michigan-based FedEx Ground contractor: 53-ft. van, doubles

1Dec. 18: Flipping the

e-log switch

2How the two basic types of

ELDs operate

6How devices and drivers

track duty status changes

10Features beyond logs

14The price of compliance

18Specs and pricing for

46 products

26Turning your smartphone

into a compliant ELD

30Factory-fit telematics

work with ELD partners

32ELD product showcase

April 2017 | ELD BUYERS’ GUIDE | 1

Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s late 2015 release of its final rule for using electronic logging devices,

there’s been a rising swell of ELD devel-opment. Customers can choose from hardware and software options offered by dozens of vendors, many of them new to the trucking industry.

This also means serious preparation on the enforcement side. FMCSA has had reported delays implementing its roadside data-transfer system by which officers will interface electronically with any of these systems. Nevertheless, the agency expects to have it in place prior to Dec. 18, the scheduled enforcement date for using electronic logs.

Fleet-focused onboard devices offer a lot of bells and whistles, but independent owner-operators are likely to gravitate to a baseline-compliance device. They can benefit from additional functions such as IFTA data collection, making mileage tracking automatic and easily reportable.

If you manage more than one truck or are poised for growth, simplified dispatch tools in back-office programs may help you scale your operation.

As you’re making your decision, con-sider these issues:

Support. The final rule specifies an eight-day timeframe for repairing/replac-ing a malfunctioning ELD. Does the pro-vider stock the kind of hardware inven-tory to meet such a quick turnaround? How are replacements/repairs handled? For carriers needing more than eight days to replace any ELD, the rule also spelled out a process for requesting more time. It involves contacting your state’s FMCSA division office and making your case.

FMCSA registry and compli-ance. Technically, compliant ELDs must be on FMCSA’s registry of devices. The agency’s vetting process does not entail testing for compliance, relying largely on manufacturers to self-certify that they meet the rule specs.

That’s prompted worry among motor carriers about what happens if their device is later found to be noncompliant. FMCSA’s website addresses that sce-nario: “FMCSA will work with affected motor carriers to establish a reasonable timeframe for replacing non-compliant devices.”

At this stage, part of the complexity involving the registry is that automatic onboard recording devices meeting fairly minimal requirements compared to ELD specs are essentially grandfathered through Dec. 16, 2019. The rule notes that any carrier installing an AOBRD prior to this year’s ELD enforcement date can use that device until the 2019 date.

Practically, what that means is that enforcing the requirement to use a registry-listed device is unlikely before that time, particularly for carriers who comply with the ELD rule and install an engine-connected e-log prior to Dec. 18. So the registry’s importance for carriers choosing ELDs at this stage is minimal.

As the comparison chart of devices beginning on p. 18 shows, many estab-lished ELD vendors remain off the registry. Those providers consulted for stories in this buyer’s guide, if not already on the registry, expressed plans for even-tual ELD compliance for their products through firmware/software updates as the enforcement rollout progresses.

Nonetheless, for any product not on the registry, ask the vendor about its plans for registering its device and whether it has a plan for success and support for its product beyond 2019.

EXEMPTIONS: FEW BEYOND OLDER TRUCKS

For owner-operators, perhaps the biggest exemption to FMCSA’s ELD requirement is the exclusion of 1999 and older model-year trucks from complying. Narrower exemptions exist for the following:

• Drivers in drive-away/tow-away op-erations, where the vehicle being driven is the commodity being delivered.

• Drivers operating under the time-card exception to the hours recording rules – the 100- and 150-air-mile radius short-haul exceptions – exclusively.

• Drivers who occasionally keep a log book but do not do so for more than eight days in any 30-day period.

Do you use any form of an electronic log book in your operation?

No 82%

Yes, a smartphone app untethered to

the engine 7%

Yes, an engine- connected e-log

platform 11%

An Overdrive survey from a year ago showed minimal e-logging by owner-operators. Since then, many larger fleets have added ELD sys-tems to get a jump on compliance before Dec. 18, but most independent owner-operators have yet to install an ELD.

THE

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SHIFTPART 3: BUYERS’ GUIDE

Dec. 18: Flipping the e-log switch

2 | ELD BUYERS’ GUIDE | April 2017

All compliant electronic log-ging devices will share a common bond: They can record data coming in from

the system that controls the truck’s engine and component parts. The final rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was specific in requiring synchronization with the elec-tronic control module. That’s one of the reasons the agency didn’t require ELDs in trucks of model-year 1999 or older.

The rule requires ELDs to automati-cally record date, time, location infor-mation, engine hours, vehicle miles and identification information for the driver, carrier and vehicle itself. Unless the driver is enabled for use of the vehicle in a “personal conveyance” mode out-side of work hours, ELDs are required to record all of those elements “when the driver indicates a change of duty status or a change to a special driving category” such as a yard move, the rule states.

When in motion, ELDs are required to record all of the information on an hourly basis at a minimum. Many ELDs are offered as part of systems built for detailed tracking purposes, useful to fleets and owner-operators for purposes such as automatic notification of arrival times.

Those systems are capable of record-ing in a much more refined manner, and some may default to that. Providers may or may not have the ability to adjust the refinement.

Though there are plenty of varia-tions, two types of ELDs have emerged,

as labeled on the chart that begins on page 18:

In dedicated unit configurations, the device is supplied by the provider and is likely to remain in the truck.

BYOD (“bring your own device”) systems allow buyers to purchase their own hardware for the driver interface, such as an owner-operator using an app on a personal Android- or iOS-powered smartphone. A carrier may seek out a deal on tablets to dedicate to its power units and drivers.

Dedicated unitsMost older forms of electronic logging devices, known as electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) or automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs), have been the dedicated-unit type. Two examples that have been available for years are Omnitracs’ MCP series and PeopleNet’s current products used by many drivers employed by or leased to larger carriers.

Many of these units provide ELD func-tionality in a single device package tied

How the two basic types of ELDs operate

BY TODD DILLS

ISE Fleet Services’ eFleetSuite baseline compliance device is a dedicated unit with its own cellular data con-nection but without a lot of extra functionality beyond logs.

HOW THE TWO BASIC TYPES OF ELDS OPERATE


directly to the ECM by a cable and plug. Like mobile phones, such units use

connections to the cellular network and GPS functionality to deliver on the ELD rule’s requirements for recording location, mileage and engine hours. Data storage occurs using a combina-tion of the internet cloud, back-office servers and the device itself.

A notable exception among devices available for years now exists in the base model of the Continental VDO RoadLog, which is limited to hours of service recording and inspection-report functionality. With no connection to the cellular network with the device, fleets and owner-operators manage data storage via a USB-connected drive to transfer records to a laptop or other computer.

Other dedicated devices may pair two pieces of hardware, bridging the gap between the traditional single-unit EOBR and the two-piece BYOD sys-tems readily available today.

In most cases, those devices are in evi-dence on the chart when a BYOD and a dedicated version exist from one manu-facturer. While the J.J. Keller Encompass and Rand McNally HD100 systems both are BYOD-capable, they also are offered with company-branded Android tablets that come preloaded with software: the Compliance Tablet from Keller and the TND from Rand McNally.

Any fleet or owner-operator willing to make the investment in dedicated tablets can turn a BYOD system into a dedicated one. For years, Bill Frerichs of St. Louis-based Frerichs Freight Lines has run the BigRoad logging app on Android tablets dedicated to his 10 trucks. Though Frerichs at press time still was evaluating his options for mandate compliance, moving all 10 of his trucks’ tablets to ELD functionality could be as simple as signing on with BigRoad’s program for leasing engine-connection hardware to pair to the tablets.

Jack Schwalbach, who manages the private fleet of Reinders, a Wisconsin-

based turf and irrigation products com-pany, did just that with Geotab. “We have dedicated tablets,” Schwalbach says. “The tablets are used just for log-ging – the data plan, we have locked down. Everybody’s got their smart-phone on their own, so they use that” for anything else.

Bring your own deviceThe “bring your own device” phrase and its BYOD acronym came into use with the profusion of smartphones over the past decade. In trucking, it’s a com-mon term to describe a major part of today’s ELD market.

Dozens of providers are offering their own versions of BYOD systems. A BYOD-configured ELD consists of a “dongle” that connects to the ECM via the cab’s onboard diagnostics port. The dongle typically pairs via a Bluetooth connection with a smartphone or tablet to transmit data.

Software from the ELD vendor on your smartphone or tablet enables you to change duty status manually when you stop. When your vehicle goes into motion, the ELD automati-cally will shift to the drive line in the log book. (For more on BYOD ELDs, read the story on p. 28.)

Variations exist. The engine-con-nection dongle may or may not have a cellular connection. In the case of the KeepTruckin ELD, the ECM-connected device maintains a GPS connection but no cellular connectivity itself. For that, the system relies on the connected smartphone or tablet and its data plan.

Meanwhile, Geotab’s Go — also a BYOD solution (and marketed as the Transflo ELD T7 by Pegasus TransTech) — maintains its own cellular connection and is capable of being updated and troubleshot over the air if software/firm-ware updates are needed.

The KeepTruckin BYOD-style ELD “black box” connects to the ECM via cable and plugin. KeepTruckin recom-mends users mount the device in the dash to maintain a clear GPS connection. The device pairs with the KT app on a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth connection.


While electron-ic logs gener-ally automate parts of

log-keeping and in some ways simplify the rest, they still require direct driver involve-ment in most duty status changes. As any driver will know, too, turning the entire process over to a device and its interaction with the truck just isn’t possible.

As with paper logs, driv-ers using electronic logs are in control of all duty status inputs. The exception is the drive line, which functions automatically as specified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final rule. It’s also the only status the driver will be unable to edit directly through his driver login.

To minimize the need for annotations required with any edit, the long-in-practice habit of “catching up the log book” by drivers will mostly fall by the wayside. With no pencil to be pushed across paper, as long as the device is operational and open, duty-status changes happen with the simple push of a button, in real time.

Edits made by the driver are possible for every line but the drive line, which is locked down since drive time

is based on vehicle move-ment. The drive line can be edited from the administra-tor’s account to classify an unassigned driving event or drive time as personal con-veyance or a yard move.

Any edits made from the administrator account in the back-office login must be certified as accurate by the driver. This occurs through the driver’s user interface of the ELD when the edit is made.

An independent owner-operator may have two separate logins for the system: one as a driver, the other as the administrator. An inde-pendent lacking two email addresses may need to get a second one. Some systems require unique addresses to associate with the logins as administrator and driver-user.

When it comes to the look and feel of the user interface that e-log provider compa-nies are required to produce,

the ELD final rule leaves plenty of room for variation. It did, however, make these requirements of all ELDs:

1) A GRAPH GRID of any driver user’s hours analogous to that used in paper logs, showing the various off-duty, sleeper berth, driving and on-duty not-driving lines. The grid display – or as an alternative, a printout, being used by Continental’s VDO RoadLog device and its built-in printer – is intended

How devices and drivers track duty status changes

Previous versions of rules that would have mandated electronic logs for some carriers would have required the devices to notify drivers regarding their hours status when they were approaching a limit. That feature is not a part of the device specs for the new rule, but many e-log providers offer quick-glance views, such as the one shown from ERoad, that amount to quick-compliance dashboards, showing time remaining in the daily and cumulative hours limits.

BY TODD DILLS

HOW DEVICES & DRIVERS TRACK DUTY STATUS CHANGES


for quick interpretation by law enforcement. This serves as a backup to other required methods of data transfer.

Most providers integrate the grid into the driver’s basic log view on the inter-face. Many reproduce it with further information in a special inspection screen for display to law enforce-ment, similar to what officers are used to seeing on paper today.

2) ON-DUTY DRIVING STATUS is required to be triggered automatically when the speed hits 5 mph. If the driver is not logged into the system prior to that change in status, an “unassigned driving event” is recorded by the system and can be recon-ciled only from the admin-istrator account, not via the driver interface.

According to the rule, after a driving status is trig-gered, the vehicle is consid-ered in motion by the ELD until “speed falls to 0 miles per hour and stays at 0 miles per hour for 3 consecu-tive seconds,” after which manual duty status changes are possible.

FMCSA noted it would expect that in most cases drivers would make a duty status change in such an event before shutting the vehicle down. The ELD will record all engine on/off activity.

3) THE DEFAULT DUTY STATUS for any ELD is on-duty not-driving. Absent a driver’s direct change, after the vehicle has been in motion, the ELD auto-matically should transfer

the driver to line 4 after the vehicle has been stationary for five minutes.

4) YARD MOVES function-ality was specified in the

ELD final rule as a way for carriers to move vehicles around company terminals without automatically trig-gering an on-duty driving

status. Yard-moves mode for

particular drivers will be enabled from the admin-istrator account and then selected by the driver when making a yard move. The default status for a yard move is Line 4, on-duty not-driving.

5) PERSONAL CONVEYANCE uses of the truck while off-duty also are enabled from the administrator account for drivers. The personal con-veyance mode then can be selected by the driver using the truck for personal reasons during off-duty periods.

Once selected, the default duty status is off-duty for the ELD for as long as it’s selected, including when in motion. GPS refinement is reduced during personal conveyance mode selection from a one-mile radius to 10 miles.

6) VARIOUS HOURS EXEMPTIONS AND SPE-CIAL RULE VARIANTS such as those pertaining to the 30-minute break and rules for oilfield operations can be handled as they have been, FMCSA’s rule states, via notes sections to the logs.

With the exception of yard moves and personal conveyance, “all other spe-cial driving categories, such as adverse driving conditions … or oilfield operations … would be annotated by the driver, similar to the way they are now.”

However, numerous ELD providers support special oilfield rule sets, including Apollo, E-Log Plus, Hutch, Omnitracs’ XRS device and others.

Ray Cox, Mobile Warrior sales director, says his company’s iDDL device has a “touch-free ELD gauge.” The screen, locked while the truck is in motion, “shows the driver everything going on from a compliance perspective. Our gauge will show how many hours and minutes are left before the driver must take a 30-min-ute break or how long they have left for driving, and if they have any violations that need to be addressed.”

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From built-in dashcams to scanners and transportation management software (TMS) system integration capabilities,

electronic logging devices do more, often a lot more, than merely provide hours of service functionality.

ISE Fleet Services’ eFleetSuite ELD, for example, can be scaled to add features on the Android system that underlies the dedicated unit. Owner-operators and fleets “can invest on it upfront and spend more money down the road if that’s what’s necessary,” says Chris Nelson, ISE vice president.

Although ISE calls the eFleetSuite

e-logger a “baseline compliance” device designed originally to satisfy the needs of a particular set of leased owner-operators, logs aren’t the only thing it can do. As with many competing devices, the GPS-enabled connections to the truck’s electronic control module open up the possibility to automate fuel-tax data collec-tion that can be output to multiple IFTA providers, Nelson says.

For Jack Schwalbach of the Reinders private fleet, similar functions within the Geotab e-log service are among the biggest benefits he’s seen. “Fuel tax is a huge problem,” Schwalbach says – or was, before moving to Geotab’s system

paired with dedicated Android tablets for logs. Previously, Reinders often was at the mercy of its drivers’ record-keeping abilities or best guesses for state mileages.

“Now, at the end of the month and end of the quarter, I gather the info for fuel tax and don’t waste eight hours at the end of the month, minimum, trying to get the records,” he says. “The guy in accounting can push a button, and there it is.”

ERoad and its ELD also take tax-management functionality to another level. The product is built on top of a system originally designed for debiting

Bonus features aboundDriverTech this year launched the DT4000 Rev 7, a communications platform that comes with ELD capabilities and a front-facing dash camera to capture critical event video. Other ancillary features include truck-specific navigation and the ability to link with Cummins Connected Diagnostics and the Meritor Tire Inflation System. M2M in Motion is another ELD provider offering dashcam capabilities for critical-event video capture.

BY TODD DILLS AND AARON HUFF

BONUS FEATURES ABOUND


weight-mile user fees in New Zealand and then piloted in Oregon to track use in that state’s weight-mile system. After that, says company representative Gail Levario, the product will have “an end-to-end solution on the IFTA side.”

Other administrative-type function-ality involves electronic driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) for pre- and post-trip inspections. Many devices pro-vide drivers with an electronic checklist for areas that need work. Maintenance personnel or the driver himself then can sign off on repairs as they happen, creat-ing an electronic maintainence record.

The Drivewyze weigh-station bypass-ing service is integrated as an option in the dedicated ELDs of Rand McNally, Omnitracs, PeopleNet and Zonar.

Many systems also present the back office with dispatching tools, from map views of drivers’ locations and available hours to historical views of routes and more. Bill Frerichs of Frerichs Freight Lines says that even without full ELD functionality, his fleet has been able to improve dispatch by using Android tab-lets running BigRoad’s software.

“We’re using their map feature so you can see the drivers and using it to tell them where to fuel in some cases,” says Frerichs, who participates in the National Association of Small Trucking Companies’ fuel-discount network. “My key people [in the office] all have that BigRoad app on their desktop.”

Such functionality could help more carriers track detention time. “ELDs are going to come full circle and get your time at the docks under control,” Frerichs believes.

A variety of business tools also are emerging from some new players in the ELD landscape. Both the Simple Truck ELD and Konexial’s My20 are market-ing load board-like services to owner-operators. Konexial’s Rick Dempsey says the app associated with his com-pany’s BYOD ELD service, set to debut in June, “will alert a driver of [available loads] within a geographic location.”

Larger fleets also are finding ways to

make the most of the e-log transition by using their hours of service data for more than just compliance. The data can be integrated with TMS systems and routing applications that optimally match driv-ers to loads and make adjustments to the pickup-and-delivery schedule as the day progresses.

Omnitracs’ new Route, Dispatch, Compliance (RDC) system is designed for fleets with last-mile delivery opera-tions that operate under HOS regulations. The web-based system uses data from the Omnitracs XRS mobile and ELD appli-cation to plan routes and make real-time dynamic changes as the day progresses.

P&S Transportation, a 1,100-truck carrier based in Birmingham, Ala., uses a planning tool called Driver Feasibility in its LoadMaster TMS sys-tem from McLeod Software. The tool

provides an automated checklist for driver-load assignments by evaluating drivers’ current hours, location, load sta-tus and future availability.

P&S requires all personnel in opera-tions and dispatch to use the tool when assigning loads to drivers that run e-logs, says Tiffany Giekes, director of business process. The company implemented e-logs three years ago in its flatbed and refrigerated operations. “We are making good business decisions before we talk to a driver about a load,” Giekes says. “It is a huge benefit to know if a driver is going to make it on time.”

P&S driver managers also use Driver Feasibility to coach drivers who are rela-tively new to e-logs. Managers can show them how to plan trips, including where to take breaks and fuel, to make deliver-ies safely and on time.

iGlobal’s Edge MDT ELD and communications platform features a push-to-talk cellular option with a familiar CB-style microphone and is used by Paramount Freight Systems to accelerate payments to its owner-oper-ators. With the Edge’s built-in high-speed scanner, owner-operators use the module “like a cash machine,” says iGlobal’s Chris Phibbs. “They’ll pay the owner-operator as soon as they get their paperwork.”

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Today’s electronic logging devices are different animals from the onboard com-munications and logging

systems of even a decade ago. And while the $1,000-plus onboard systems with expensive ongoing costs in maintenance and subscriptions haven’t gone away entirely, many inexpensive options exist, even among dedicated units.

Hardware purchase costs for dedi-cated-unit systems range from a little more than $400 for Hutch’s Mercury unit up to $2,000 for PeopleNet’s top-of-the-line, fully-functional custom fleet management device.

The price of complianceBY TODD DILLS

Available for $700, the Continental VDO RoadLog dedicated e-log is no longer alone in the market with a pricing model that doesn’t include a subscription. It does, how-ever, continue to set itself apart in being one of the only systems that doesn’t open up an internet connection with the truck’s ECM and contains a built-in thermal printer.

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Offering its software as “freeware,” the new Zed ELD, available for iPhone (Android coming soon), might be the most affordable ELD. It costs $200 and requires no sub-scription fee.

THE PRICE OF COMPLIANCE


For engine-connection-device pur-chases for BYOD (“bring your own device”) systems, costs range from around $170 up to about $500 on the top end.

Most systems with subscription-based pricing, even those with the most expansive functionality for fleets, can start with no hardware investment other than a lease cost rolled into a monthly or annual fee. Monthly sub-scription costs vary with the variety of services used, though many start at as little as $15.

It’s possible to satisfy the requirements of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ELD mandate for as little as a onetime $200 investment. Zed Connect made news in March for its Zed ELD, turning the common BYOD

pricing model on its head.Most BYOD ELDs, as evident in

our comparison chart, operate in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, with subscription fees ensuring full functionality. While many give away or lease engine-plug-in hardware, Zed is charging just $200 for the hardware and giving away the smartphone app and web-based administration portal.

“This is an application of an innova-tive company that believes there are a lot of truckers out there who actually don’t want to have that monthly fee and the charges for a lot of things that aren’t applicable to their business,” says Jill Nowlin, Zed’s sales director.

Tailoring the company’s e-log offer-ing to owner-operators and small fleets, Nowlin likens the more well-equipped

services to cable TV packages. “You get 800 channels, and you only want two or three,” she says. “We’re targeting that group to be able to give them an ability to meet this mandate” and not keep a monthly fee subtracting from the bot-tom line in perpetuity.

Along with Zed, Blue Ink Technology has adopted a similar pricing model for its BYOD ELD – a $295 onetime hardware purchase. BIT’s Mike Riegel expressed a similar desire to provide something “very lean” and simple to “keep the cost low” for small fleets and owner-operators.

The BIT ELD was not unveiled in time to be listed on the chart in this guide. Find more detailed specs of the device by searching the name at OverdriveOnline.com.

USED LOGGING DEVICES RESOLD AT DISCOUNT

Pivot Technology Resources is an outgrowth of company founder Cory Hunt’s long ex-perience in trucking from the information technology side of things. His experience dates to the mid-1990s when he did “troubleshooting, installing, uninstalling” of Qualcomm satellite equipment for Des Moines, Iowa-based TMC. “It got me interested in the mobile communication sys-tems” themselves, after which he worked for various provid-ers, learning “wiring, loading and unloading software” and more.

When a couple of trucking companies that were oversold equipment by one of Hunt’s employers asked him where to go with the extra stock, the idea for Pivot was born.

“This is happening all over the country,” Hunt says. “There’s equipment coming out of trucks that still has a useful life – good working

equipment. Trucking com-panies have so many other problems to deal with than how to sell these other mobile communications systems.” The mission was to figure out how to facilitate others’ investment in the used equipment.

“We can offer high-quality equipment for about half the price and still have a warranty, still perform maintenance on them,” Hunt says. Custom-ers, both fleets and owner-operators, “partner with us as an ongoing resource — the core value is being able to supply them with good equipment and being an outlet for the equip-ment they don’t need or want – or if they’re just going out of business.”

Pivot also can find a solution that fits a customer’s particu-lar needs. “We’re not restricted to any manufacturer,” Hunt says. Fleets often come to him noting a specific set of functions, and he gets to work

finding the right solution. Pivot has relationships with

some all-owner-operator fleets that have moved to electronic logs to provide a lower-cost option for the units. Some of the resale equipment includes hardware from Omnitracs and PeopleNet.

Pivot also is a distribu-tor for some new systems, including those made by Rand McNally, the company Hunt calls its go-to for many smaller operations.

Warranties and other repairs to any piece of equipment bearing the Pivot mark are facilitated by the company directly, whether through over-the-air troubleshooting or broader service.

“Our processes have been refined over the years,” Hunt says. “We have it down to a science. I feel like our repair process is a little better than some of the service provid-ers.” Rather than bear the

cost of shipping the unit out for repair under warranty, “if you have a bad component, you call us,” he says. “If it’s in our system as one of ours, we can send another component out overnight with an airbill on us to cover the shipping cost.”

Some buyers might have concerns over older units that are grandfathered in for ELD mandate compliance until the late 2019 deadline. Hunt says software updates from the service provider are most likely to cover that concern on any Pivot-sold equipment, similar to what many providers have been saying about their existing hardware.

Pivot’s inventory of used communi-cations equipment can be accessed via PivotResources.com.

Apollo Solutions

Apollo

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease, $75 to purchase ECM-link

Monthly: $15-$40 depending on options

IFTA, AOBRD/ELD operating modes, signa-ture capture, proactive notifications, back-office integration, Canada/Cali-fornia/oilfield support

Yes

AssuredTrack-ing.com

ATS Fleet Management Solutions

ELD ABW w/ ATS e-Track Certified

BYOD | Android

$135 (includes first three months’ service, year of support)

Monthly: $15

IFTA, optional close-support software; ELD ABW otherwise is a baseline compliance device, ATS provides e-Track Certi-fied software that powers it

Yes

ELD.ABW.com

BigRoad

DashLink ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease

Monthly: $15 per user, $10 per truck

Document capture and sharing, engine diag-nostics, back- office dispatch geared to small fleets

No

BigRoad.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Blue Tree Systems

BT500

BYOD | Android

$0 with lease/purchase over 3-5 years


Wi-Fi hotspot, driver scoring (performance, safety, compliance), navigation, job workflow manage-ment, reefer temperature monitoring

No

BlueTreeSys-tems.com

CarrierWeb

CarrierMate

Dedicated unit | two options, Win-CE (5700) and Android (7000) OS

$749, lease options available

Monthly: $31 and lower

Driver/truck performance and engine diagnostics/preventive maintenance reporting, in-cab scanning, navigation; road segment speeding available at additional cost

No

CarrierWeb.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost

Ongoing lease or service fees per

truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?

Find more information

ELDSPECS

In addition to logging, the elec-tronic logging devices listed here allow for electronic driver vehicle inspection reports. Most include options for messaging and back-of-

fice unit tracking. Ancillary features listed are not comprehensive in most cases.

Some features may require further investment in services and/or hard-ware. Many systems include features enabled by the connection to the engine’s electronic control module (ECM), including, for larger fleets, the capability of integration into transpor-tation management software systems.

Unless otherwise noted, costs in this chart apply to a one-truck op-erator independent of a larger fleet, buying aftermarket. Volume discounts often apply. Many providers offer lease options for hardware with prices bundled into service packages.

Some systems are “bring your own device” (BYOD) products, where smartphone or tablet software is paired with a device that connects to the ECM. For such systems, associ-ated costs exclude the cost of the mobile device unless otherwise noted. Associated data plan charges also are not included.

Several providers, including the RapidLog ELD from Eclipse Software, did not meet the deadline to be included in the print chart and also can be examined online at Overdri-veOnline.com/2015ELDChart. As new products are introduced and existing products are added to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ELD registry, the online chart will be updated.

For more about the registry and its status, see the story on page 1. User reviews, where noted, are accessible via CCJDigital.com/Reviews.

Cartasite

DriveTime

BYOD | Android or paired with ruggedized tablet

$0 with lease, $500 approx-imately with dedicated tablet

Monthly: $15-$30

Variety of driver safety, fleet management functions possible

Yes

Cartasite.com

Continental

VDO RoadLog

Dedicated unit

$700, or $0 with lease option

$0 for logs, DVIR, IFTA data collection

Built-in ther-mal printer, real-time data transfer, fuel consumption, engine diag-nostics, driver scorecard, integrated dispatch for small fleets

Yes

VDORoadLog.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Dispatching Solutions

DSI eLogs

Dedicated unit or BYOD | Android, iOS

$450-$700 depending on hardware, capabilities

Monthly: $20 for ELD, $40 for ELD and GPS

GPS tracking, transport and order manage-ment, smart forms, alerts, geofencing, IFTA, device events, more

Yes

DSIMobile.com

E-Log Plus

E-Log Plus

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon) or paired with ELP-branded Samsung tablet

$169 in BYOD configuration, higher withtablet

Monthly: $19

IFTA, maintenance alerts, oil-field-capable, auto-backup to cloud stor-age account, supports up to six-driver slip seat

Yes

E-LogPlus.com

ERoad

ERoad ELD

Dedicated unit

$0 with lease, $215


Electronic weight-mile tax, IFTA, IRP recordkeep-ing; driver behavior reporting/management; maintenance, fuel and other management functions; geofencing and event tools

Yes

ERoad.com

DriverTech

DT4000 Rev 7

Dedicated unit

$799

Monthly: $30 and higher depending on options

Dashcam with critcal event capture; nav-igation; inte-grations with some TMS, diagnostics and tire-infla-tion providers; smartphone app to link business processes to drivers

No

DriverTech.com

Forward Thinking Systems

Field Warrior

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon) w/ Field Warrior app | or paired with dedicated Garmin Fleet series

$0 with lease

Monthly: $20-$50 depending on device type

Geofencing, maintenance tracking, driv-er scorecards, IFTA, systems integration, navigation, live-streaming cameras, sig-nature/image capture, road-side assistance program

No

ftsgps.com

Fleet Complete

AT&T Fleet Complete HOS

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease

Monthly: $36

Customizable for fleet management functions such as dispatching and engine diagnostics, Wi-Fi hotspot- capable

No

FleetComple-tecom

FleetUp

FleetUp

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease

Monthly: $25 and higher

Patented fuel waste analy-sis, e-mainte-nance, engine diagnostics, IFTA, geofenc-ing, full fleet management solution

Yes

FleetUpTrace.com

GeoSpace Labs

HG100

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with one-year service commitment, otherwise $99

Monthly: $19

Maintenance resolution/tracking, paperless manifests and barcoding, dispatch, time-card functionality, route logging, signature cap-ture, detention tracking/bill-ing, mapping

Yes

GeoSpaceLabs.com

Geotab

Geotab Go

BYOD | Android, iOS

$170

Monthly: $20-$30 approx.

IFTA data collection, engine diag-nostics, driver scorecards, safety/risk management functions, data integration for manage-ment, more custom adds from Geotab Marketplace

No

Geotab.com

Gorilla Safety

Gorilla Safety ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$175


IFTA, AOBRD and short-haul settings, driver accident re-porting, docu-ment capture/management, fuel manage-ment, custom maintenance management, user permis-sions

Yes

GorillaSafety.com

GPS Insight

ELD 2000

Dedicated units

$650 for ELD 2000 and GPS tracking device combination, rental options available

Monthly: $34.95 and higher for ELD and GPS track-ing software

IFTA data col-lection, engine diagnostics, routing, hierar-chy functions for larger fleets, suite of tailored GPS tracking solutions

No

GPSInsight.com

Hutch

Mercury

Dedicated unit

$475, lease op-tions available

Monthly: $19 and higher, depending on options

Wireless/sat-ellite tracking options, IFTA, engine diagnostics, maintenance management, compliance/safety systems, tire pressure/trail-er monitoring, signature capture, more

Yes

HutchSystems.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


HOS 247

HOS 247

BYOD | Android, iOS on the way

$0


IFTA, compliance dashboard, data sharing, fleet tracking

No

HOS247.com

HOS Reporter

HOS Reporter-BT

BYOD | Android, iOS | or paired with tablet

$0

Monthly: $15 (two years prepaid) or $18 (one year)

IFTA data collection, AOBRD/ELD modes

No

HOS-reporter.com

iGlobal

Edge MDT / Journey8 tablet

Dedicated unit

$499 and up depending on configuration

Monthly: $25 and higher depending on options and configuration

Edge MDT: built-in scan-ner, push-to-talk cellular. Both: a la carte pricing for IFTA, driv-er scorecards/settlements, engine diag-nostics, TMS integrations (TMW, Mc-Leod), more

Yes

iGlobalLLC.com

ISE Fleet Services

eFleetSuite

Dedicated unit


Monthly: $24

IFTA data collection, compliance, mapping, customizable

No

ISEFleetSer-vices.com

J.J. Keller

Encompass

BYOD | Android, iOS | or paired with dedicated J.J. Keller Compli-ance Tablet

$299

Monthly: $20 or less with multi-driver discounting

Optional IFTA reporting, navigation, engine diag-nostics, driver qualification, drug and alcohol man-agement, acci-dent tracking, training, recordkeeping

No

JJKeller/ELogs.com or read user reviews at CCJ

KeepTruckin

KeepTruckin

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with hard-ware lease

Monthly: $20 for service

IFTA, idle-time tracking, engine diagnostics, geofencing, driver score-cards, TMS integrations (TMW, McLeod)

Yes

KeepTruckin.com

Load Logistics

Load Logistics TMS

BYOD | Android tablets

$499 for adaptable engine relay


Fuel options, navigation/mapping, patent-pend-ing GoLoad truck-load freight-matching

No

LoadLogistics.com

M2M in Motion

M2M018

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon)

$0 with lease, $215


IFTA, engine diagnostics and other management capabilities, dashcam with critical-event capture and reporting, driver scoring, trailer tracking, mobile device management/lockdown capabilities, more

Yes

M2MinMotion.com

MiX Telematics

MiX Rovi

Dedicated unit

$0 with lease

Monthly: Varies with service plan/bundle

IFTA, geofenc-ing, mainte-nance tools, driver/vehicle utilization tools, fuel/engine moni-toring, journey management, integrated vid-eo cameras, distracted and fatigued driving moni-toring, more

No

MiXTelematics.com

Koniexal

My20

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0

Monthly: $20 or $10 with three-year commitment

IFTA, dispatch/load functions, engine con-nection easily transferred from truck to truck, engine diagnostics, lane analysis, customizable for small fleet management

Yes

Konexial.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Mobile Warrior

iDDL

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease, $175


IFTA, no-touch ELD gauge, dispatch/load functions, document capture, time card, expense tracking with integration to accounting, DVIR with custom check-lists, more

Yes

MobileWarrior.com

Omnitracs

MCP/IVG

Dedicated units

$799 and up depending on model, lease options available


Engine diagnostics, mobile-based weigh station bypass, IFTA, in-cab scanning, truck navigation, geofencing, custom mobile forms, TMS in-tegration, idle time tracking, video record-ing, more

No

Omnitracs.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Omnitracs

XRS

BYOD | Compa-ny- certified Android, Win-dows Mobile devices

$0 with lease


Base service plan includes engine diagnostics and fuel-pur-chase and maintenance functions. Pre-mium package includes IFTA and navigation with oilfield capability.

No

Omnitracs.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Pedigree Technologies

ELD Chrome

Cab-Mate Open: BYOD, Android | Cab-Mate Connect: Dedicated unit

$0 with lease, $299 and up to purchase hard-ware for BYOD, $599 and up for dedicated unit


IFTA, engine diagnostics standard. Expandable and customiz-able with fleet management functions, including dispatch, forms, job management, maintenance, tires, seat-belts, more.

No

ELDCertified.com

Pegasus TransTech

Transflo ELD T7

BYOD | Android, iOS

$99 for hard-ware/harness

Monthly: $25-$31 depend-ing on plan selected

Base plan adds IFTA to com-mon function-ality, one-year warranty; pre-mium package adds vehicle analytics, driver behav-ior insights, accident detection/re-construction, more

No

Transflo.com

PeopleNet

eDriver Logs

Dedicated units

$0 with lease option up to $2,000, depending on capabilities

Monthly: $30-$60 for service, more with lease if applicable

Customizable for fleet management functions, mobile-based weigh station bypass

No

PeopleNe-tOnline.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Quartix

Electronic Logging from Quartix


$79-$119 depending on available promotions

Monthly: $19.20-$22.20/month or $4/month on top of InfoPlus tracking system subscription

In addition to sophisticated tracking tools, fleet manage-ment functions (including dashboards), IFTA and more

No

Quartix.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Nero Global Tracking


BYOD | Android | or paired with dedicated Android tablet

$0 with hard-ware lease, $200 or higher without


Engine diag-nostics, fuel management, IFTA data col-lection, alerts and reports, geofenc-ing, driver scorecards, maintenance module, more

No

NeroGlobal.com

Navistar

OnCommand Connection

BYOD | An-droid, iOS

$120

Monthly: $15-$30

Vehicle loca-tion tracking, geofencing, harsh braking and accel-eration, idle reporting, breadcrumb trails; error help and alerts of violations; IFTA; advanced vehicle diagnostics

No

www.Oncom-mandConnec-tion.com

Rand McNally

DC200

BYOD | Android | or paired with TND tablet

$399


TMS integra-tion, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, en-gine diagnos-tics, cellular modem

No

RandMcNally.com or read user reviews at CCJ

Rand McNally

TND765

Dedicated unit

$699


Truck-specific navigation, TMS integration, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, engine diagnostics

No


Rand McNally

ELD50


$149


TMS integration, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, engine diagnostics

No


Simple Truck ELD

Simple Truck ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS | tablet options available

$0

Monthly: $19 (first six months free, within limits)

24/7 support, IFTA, parking assistance, engine diagnostics, load boards, roadside assistance, discounted fuel cards, available in Spanish

Yes

SimpleTruck-ELD.com

Spireon

FleetLocate FL7

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease

Monthly: $26.95 and higher depending on add-ons

IFTA, driver safety alerts/reports, driver scores, audible alerts, engine diag-nostics

No

Spireon.com

Teletrac Navman

Director

Dedicated unit

$0 with lease

Monthly: $45 and higher depends on options

IFTA, engine diagnostics, dispatch and messaging, safety analyt-ics, workflow solutions, truck-based navigation, driver score-cards, TMS integration, guaranteed compliance with ELD specs

No

Teletrac-Navman.com

Telogis

Telogis Work-Plan

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease option up to $100 and more

Monthly: $36 including hardware lease and up

Document capture, trip plan sharing, engine diag-nostics and prognostics, more

No

Telogis.com

Zonar

Zonar Connect

Dedicated unit

Varies according to fleet size and options chosen

Varies with service plan/features

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for dispatch, management, operational functions; camera; navigation; Android compatibility; over-the-air updates

No

ZonarSystems.com

Zed Connect

Zed ELD

BYOD | iOS (Android soon)

$200

$0

Route management, fleet dashboard

No

Zed-ELD.com


The market-making power of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic logging device

mandate is evident when you compare the chart beginning on page 18 with the original comparison chart Overdrive pub-lished in August 2015.

Back then, 13 devices from 11 provid-ers were listed, the majority of them offering dedicated-unit ELDs that had long been on the market. Well-known providers such as Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Teletrac, Rand McNally and J.J. Keller populated the chart.

This issue’s roundup of 46 devices shows how the December 2015 publica-tion of the ELD final rule has encour-aged many parties to enter the market. Though some providers such as ERoad, iGlobal and DriverTech now offer dedicated units of their own, the vast majority of growth has been “bring your own device” units capable of being paired with an operator’s smart-phone or tablet.

Part of the reason for so many new entrants undoubtedly has to do with the cost of software/hardware develop-ment versus the relative ease of bringing

software to market for mobile platforms. Of the 46 listed ELDs, 30 are capable of BYOD configuration. Among those, 22 can support both Google’s Android operating system and Apple’s iOS.

BYOD providers include famil-

iar names such as BigRoad and KeepTruckin. Both companies debuted prior to the ELD mandate as smartphone apps for logging. Now they are capable of functioning as federally compliant ELDs with an added device connected

Turning your smartphone into a compliant ELD BY TODD DILLS

Fleet Complete, Geotab and BigRoad are among the dozens of mobile-device-based options for ELD compliance.

66%Percentage of devices/software solutions included on Overdrive’s electronic logging device chart that retain the “bring your own device” option, whether a smartphone or tablet.

3/4Fraction of BYOD ELDs that are or will be avail-able with both Android- and Apple iOS-powered versions. The balance of devices is Android-only, with the exception being the XRS e-logger from Omnitracs, which also is compatible with some Windows Mobile devices.

56%Share of Overdrive readers carrying a smart-phone who use an Android-powered device. Apple’s iPhone was the second-most prominent platform, with 37 percent of readers reporting use in the magazine’s 2016 connectivity survey.

April 2017 | ELD BUYERS’ GUIDE | 29

to the engine’s electronic control module. Most such devices maintain a connection to the driver’s smartphone interface via Bluetooth, though some also offer a Wi-Fi option or use it exclusively.

The vast majority offer their ELDs in a Software-as-a-Service (Saas) model with monthly fees structured to ensure users get the full functionality of the software and subsequent updates, though two exceptions to that rule exist (see “The price of compliance,” p. 14).

While some BYOD ELDs include a dedicated data plan with a cellular service provider for the ECM-tethered device that connects to the driver’s smartphone or tablet, most do not.

Before opting for one BYOD solution or another, be certain that the provider’s software is compliant with your smart-phone’s operating system.

Private equity consultant Jay Dwivedi, studying the ELD market early this year, notes that in addition to ELD providers listed on FMCSA’s ELD registry, he found 27 more. “A lot of companies are trying to make a play and get an early start, but the market is not so huge that it can absorb 40 or 50 companies.” Dwivedi expects only about a dozen to survive. As this story went to press, evidence of consolida-tion was on offer with the announcement that Fleet Complete acquired BigRoad, long popular with drivers.

Truckstop.com’s uDrove smartphone app was one of the industry’s first. It allowed for logs and other functions in a single software package for Android, Blackberry and iOS devices. It moved into the BYOD ELD market years ago but recently re-evaluated the product and began its sunset.

Thayne Boren, Truckstop.com mobile general manager, says the com-pany is ceasing uDrove support at the end of June but is committed to helping current customers find a new vendor. That includes plans for early-summer launch of an ELD marketplace that “will be a destination for carriers to find ‘vetted’ [ELD provider] companies that are likely on a path for success beyond 2019.” That’s the final year in which previous-generation automatic onboard recording devices can be used without updates to remain in compliance.

“We’ve had some really good discus-sions with 15 companies” so far, Boren said last month, “from the largest folks to a few startups,” focusing on longevity in the industry, current customer base and, among startups, those inking the kinds of partnerships likely to drive success. “The goal is to have a few different options,” depending on the carrier size, from small to large.

IMPLEMENTATION AND THE BYOD ELDDC Transport, a Chicago-based all-owner-operator carrier with 15 trucks, recently transitioned to J.J. Keller’s Encompass e-log system, opting to go the BYOD route. Katie Cullen, who’s overseeing the implementation, says that once Encompass is fully in place, the com-pany’s leased owner-operators will be paying the system’s monthly service fee of about $26.

“It made sense for them to use their phones,” Cullen says. “At some point, we may supply them with a tablet” for fleet logs and other functions, but for the time being “very little of their data” is used by the Encompass software, she says.

RDS Container Yard Services, a Salt Lake City-based intermodal carrier, uses the KeepTruckin ELD, a BYOD system somewhat similar to Encompass, for its three leased owner-operators and 12 company trucks. The ELD’s data demands amount to a “couple of megabytes a month, tops,” says RDS’ Neal Pollard.

Instead of having a data allowance for drivers, “We overcame that in two ways.” One, the employment or lease contract stipulates that drivers must have a smartphone and “be willing to download our software and accept a small amount of data.” Two, “we try to keep our driv-ers a little above industry standard” in terms of pay, Pollard says.

RDS tested the Keller system last year along with KeepTruckin’s ELD after driv-ers at the company made it known they

used the original KeepTruckin app and were impressed with it. That test showed occasional difficulty some drivers had connecting their phones over Bluetooth to Keller’s device when starting the day.

“We heard that wasn’t uncommon” with some solutions, Pollard says, “but we weren’t having those same issues with the KeepTruckin app.” Its ELD now is installed in six new company Kenworth T880s.

Pollard is contemplating selling some of RDS’ older trucks and going all-owner-operator for the remainder of the fleet. The leased operators would be required to run KeepTruckin ELDs if their trucks aren’t exempt under the ELD mandate’s pre-2000 model-year exemption.

Cullen also noted the Bluetooth con-nectivity issue with BYOD systems in general. Purchasing dedicated tablets for DC Transport’s owner-operators might alleviate such problems when starting the day after the phone leaves the truck for a time. Connectivity problems also have arisen in motion, but J.J. Keller’s 24/7 hotline and technical representa-tives have been responsive, just as they were during the initial installation and setup process.

“A lot of times, if [owner-operators] lose a connection, it’s back online within 20 minutes,” she says. Cullen hopes to have the entire fleet running full-time ELD in July.

Smartphone/tablet-based e-logs: Have you tried one of the many apps

available to test the ELD waters?

Over

drive

Onlin

e.com

pol

lKeepTruckin 15%

BigRoad 15%

No, but I’ve useda dedicated e-log 6%

Yes 35%

No, paperonly for me 50%

No, other 4%

No, but I’ve used alaptop program 5%

Another program 5%

This poll, conducted in February, shows that since Overdrive’s operational survey conducted in the spring of 2016, more drivers have been getting used to electronic hours recording by using smart-phone apps that don’t require a connection to the engine’s ECM. In the 2016 survey, only 19 percent of operators and small-fleet owners reported using either such an app or an engine-connected e-log.


Bill Frerichs created a deadline of July 1 to have electronic logging devices operational for his nine-truck fleet. The

president and owner of St. Louis-based Frerichs Freight Lines is mulling his options.

“The almighty bottom dollar is not the deciding factor, but it is part of it,” Frerichs says. “I am hoping I can get into this for under $35 per truck per month.”

One option is to upgrade the logging app Frerichs currently is using for his late-model Volvo fleet. The BigRoad app runs on Android-powered tablets secured to dash-mounted docking and charging stations.

Frerichs also is considering ELD applications from Omnitracs or Telogis, both of which have connectivity agree-ments with Volvo Trucks to lever-age the telematics data that the truck maker already captures for its Remote Diagnostics service. Volvo installs a telematics device in all new vehicles at the factory. The XRS platform from Omnitracs could run on Frerichs’ existing Android tablets, and so could Telogis’ suite of applications.

Frerichs is looking beyond compliance for systems that also report driver and vehicle performance, which Omnitracs, Telogis and others could provide. “I want to create a driver incentive program to pay a fuel bonus and things like that,” he says.

In a perfect world, any ELD software developer could leverage the mileage and engine data from telematics devices that truck makers install at the factory. The data could be accessed by a mobile

app through a local Bluetooth connec-tion or be fed to apps installed on a truck’s touchscreen infotainment system.

Absent a printer as a backup, the ELD rule requires that logs be viewable by law enforcement officers in a display. For this reason, it might not make sense for truck makers to install a computing device with a non-mobile display, says Omnitracs Director of OEM Solutions Wes Mays.

While most truck makers are not in the ELD business, their investments in remote diagnostics and telematics can pay dividends for third-party ELD pro-viders.

Paccar installs a PeopleNet telematics unit in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks with Paccar MX-13 engines at the fac-tory. To run PeopleNet’s eDriver Logs application, truck owners would need to purchase or lease one of the vendor’s driver displays, but they would gain additional value beyond compliance.

“The customer gets access to Paccar’s detailed and advanced maintenance ser-vices preloaded on the device, along with

PeopleNet’s fleet management capabili-ties,” says Eric Witty, vice president of product for PeopleNet.

Daimler Trucks North America installs Zonar’s telematics unit, the V3, in Freightliner and Western Star trucks at the factory. DTNA uses V3 to power its Virtual Technician remote diagnostics service, allowing Zonar’s Connect and 2020 tablets to run the ELD application.

The 2018 Freightliner Cascadia will have a new platform with the capability to integrate with other third-party ELD applications, says Greg Treinen, sales and marketing manager of connectivity for DTNA.

Navistar doesn’t install a telematics device at the factory but has agreements with multiple telematics suppliers to power its OnCommand Connect remote diag-nostics service. The company launched its own BYOD-style ELD and telemat-ics device under the same name at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March. ELD use enables access to OnCommand Connect’s remote diagnostics.

Factory-fit telematics work with ELD partners

BY AARON HUFF

Mack Trucks and Telogis are offer-ing a free 30-day trial of Mack Fleet Management Services with Telogis Fleet. As with Volvo, Telogis has a connectivity agreement with Mack, allowing the telemat-ics service provider to use data from Mack’s factory-installed telematics device to deliver on a variety of management applica-tions, including elec-tronic logs.C

ourt

esy

of M

ack

Truc

ks


AT&T FLEET COMPLETEFleet Complete provides fleet management telematics and technologies and has an exclusive relationship with AT&T to provide a nationwide wireless network and an intuitive cloud-based IoT platform. AT&T Fleet Complete Hours of Service automates all recordkeeping and assists with safety compliance without interfering with drivers’ actions. The app can alert the driver of upcoming violations at measured intervals and provides the flexibility of overriding warnings and violation alerts with reason codes, such as weather conditions or emergencies. It is available on Android and iOS, requiring no proprietary mobile device, and enabling the sharing of logs with other apps. There is no initial cost. The monthly fee is $36.

At press time, Fleet Complete acquired ELD provider BigRoad. The integrated Fleet Complete BigRoad platform will be offered through North American partner channels AT&T and Telus.

AT&T Fleet Complete, FleetComplete.com/HOS

ELD productsBIGROAD DASHLINKBigRoad’s DashLink ELD is a plug-and-play BYOD solution for Android and iOS operating platforms. The link plugs into the truck’s ECM and communicates via Bluetooth with the BigRoad mobile app. It provides HOS-compliant logs, real-time risk notifications and DVIR reports. DashLink ELD also automatically syncs with the BigRoad web app to offer document capture and sharing, engine diagnostics, tracking and back-office dispatch geared toward small fleets. With a lease, there is no initial cost, with the option for users to bring their own engine-connection hardware; limits apply. The monthly fee is $15 per user and $10 per truck.

At press time, BigRoad was acquired by ELD provider Fleet Complete. BigRoad will continue to operate and sell directly to owner-operators and fleets, maintaining the BigRoad brand.

BigRoad, BigRoad.com

DISPATCHING SOLUTIONS DSI ELOGSDispatching Solutions’ cloud-based DSI eLogs system is certified on FMCSA’s registry. It is available as a dedicated unit or a BYOD solution for Android and iOS operating platforms. Drivers can see log book status in real time, and the back office can view the entire fleet and help manage driver compliance. DSI eLogs also has GPS fleet and asset tracking, trans-portation scheduling, dispatch, order management, smart forms, alerts, geofencing, IFTA accounting, fleet maintenance and more. The initial cost is $450 to $700, depending on the hardware and its capabilities, with a month-ly fee of $20 for ELD service only and $40 for both ELD and GPS capabilities.

Dispatching Solutions, DSIMobile.com

DRIVERTECH DT4000 REV 7DriverTech’s DT4000 Rev 7 mobile communications device is a dedicated unit with ELD capabilities. The unit also has a front-facing in-dash camera with software that includes video cap-ture of critical events, such as harsh braking; workflow integrations with a transportation management software system provider; integrations with diagnostics and tire pressure-monitoring systems; a smartphone app for drivers to view business processes outside of the cab; and navigation. The initial cost is $799, with a monthly fee of $30 and up, depending on options.

DriverTech, DriverTech.com

ECLIPSE RAPIDLOGEclipse offers the RapidLog 200 vehicle monitor for electronic logs. The company says it has audited error-free over 1 billion logs for hours of service and trip planning for over 3,000 carriers since 1989.

The dashtop device monitors all vehicle movement using ECM and GPS satellite data. Data can be sent to the carrier in real time or in batches when a driver has Wi-Fi access to reduce or eliminate data plan fees. Most any Android device or Windows laptop can be used for drivers’ entries.

The company supports any mix of paper logs, electronic logs, DVIRs, fuel-tax route tracking, live truck tracking and message notification. Fur-ther, carriers can gradually convert from paper to electronic logs over

a period of time, with single-point integrated reports and audits.

The RapidLog ELD device does not require a cell phone during driving, which eliminates fines where cell-phone use is prohibited; plus, there are no

mounting, charging and cable problems. Installation is as simple as plugging in a cable and placing the ELD on the dash;

the device can be hard-wired at the carrier’s option.Monthly service costs $14.99 for logs and DVIRs, $24.99 to add messag-

ing and live tracking, $27.49 to add GPS route-recording and $34.99 to add full-service fuel tax preparation.

Eclipse Software Systems, RapidLog.com

ELD PRODUCTS


ELD SOLUTIONS ELD Solutions provides owner-operators and fleets with simple methods to meet or exceed the ELD rule’s minimum standards. Customized solutions to enhance efficiencies range from basic compliance to a full line of features, including telematics, GPS tracking and IFTA accounting. The initial cost is $0 – with no upfront costs for a tablet device, power cord, case, ELD module, set-up or instal-lation – with an opening monthly subscription fee, whether BYOD or a device supplied by the company.

ELDS, ELDSolutions.com

EROAD ELDThe ERoad ELD is certified on FMCSA’s registry. It has a driver-friendly display with data transfer capabilities for facilitating roadside enforce-ment and reducing adminis-trative time. The device stays in the vehicle and synchro-nizes with the engine to record HOS. Its touchscreen lets drivers view, edit and add notes to their logs and present duty status during inspections. Drivers and fleet managers can monitor HOS records with summaries and reports of on-duty status, rests and resets. Fleet managers also can review and edit logs that drivers can accept on the in-vehicle display. The dedicated unit’s Software-as-a-Service platform also provides fuel and weight-mile tax management, GPS tracking, geofencing, maintenance oversight and driver performance monitor-ing with retrospective event tools. The service connects with ERoad’s web-based portal to access up-to-the-minute data, administer users, receive real-time notifications, send messages and view reports. The initial cost is zero with a lease or $215 without one, with a monthly fee of $39 to $59, depending on options.

ERoad, ERoad.com

GORILLA SAFETY ELDThe Gorilla Safety ELD is a BYOD solution for Android and iOS oper-ating platforms and is certified on FMCSA’s registry. The device works as a standalone system or in sync with its mobile app to maintain log book records and store driver HOS inside a personal device. It is available with automatic onboard recording device and short-haul settings and offers IFTA accounting, driver accident reporting, document capture and management, fuel management, custom maintenance management and user permissions. The initial cost is $175, with a monthly fee of $24 and up, depending on options. A labeled version is available for those wishing to offer the product under a corporate identity.

Gorilla Safety, GorillaSafety.com

HOS REPORTERConnected Holdings’ HOS Reporter is designed to be a two-in-one driver-friendly system for owner-opera-tors and small fleets. The device includes ELD and full automatic onboard recording device functions that provide e-logs under older regulations that allow for editable logs and less data sent following stops, which can enhance driver privacy and possibly yield fewer citations. It also offers electronic vehicle inspection reports and automated IFTA logging. The subscription includes a GPS device for the truck’s 6-pin, 9-pin or Volvo-Mack data port connector. To use the software, download a licensed copy from HOS-Reporter.com and login. Options include HOS

Reporter-Bluetooth, the lowest-cost option that sends information using the driver’s smartphone and data plan; HOS Reporter-Bluetooth/Cellular, which sends information over cellular networks using the driver’s smartphone as a display device; and HOS Reporter-Bluetooth/Cellular and Tablet, which sends information over cellular networks using the company’s dedicated HOS compliance tablet. There is no initial cost. The monthly fee is $15 (two years prepaid) or $18 (one year).

Connected Holdings, HOS-Reporter.com

GPS INSIGHT ELD-2000GPS Insight’s ELD-2000 system bundles a GPS tracking, alerting and reporting device hardwired to a ruggedized Android tablet designed with an intuitive user interface. The ELD also offers messaging for drivers and dispatch to reduce phone calls and streamline communications with drivers, as well as navigation to allow management to dispatch audible and visual directions using truck-specific routes for each job to drivers. A web-based management portal is accessible via PC, tablet and smartphone. The initial cost is $650, with a monthly fee of $34.95 and up. Rental options are available.

GPS Insight, GPSInsight.com

ELD PRODUCTS


HOS 247HOS 247’s flexible ELD packages for owner-operators and fleets include free logging devices, a log book app, electronic DVIRs, a web portal for fleet managers, a compliance dashboard, GPS tracking, IFTA accounting and free integrations with dispatch, routing and load board systems. Heavy-duty vehicles (9-pin or 6-pin ports) are supported. The packages work with most 3G and 4G tablets and smartphones; drivers and fleets can use their own or purchase Android devices and data plans from the com-pany. The app connects to the ELD via Bluetooth and displays recorded driving time while automatically calculating available driving hours, required breaks, on-duty limits and required off-duty time. Visual and audible warnings help drivers avoid violations, while the compliance dashboard monitors hours, duty statuses and violations to keep fleet managers informed. The fleet tracking system monitors vehicle loca-tions and provides location history. There is no initial cost. The monthly fee is $17 to $23, depending on options.

HOS 247, HOS247.com

IGLOBAL EDGE MDT/ JOURNEY8 TABLETThe Edge MDT/Journey8 Tablet from iGlobal is a dedicated unit that is certified on FMCSA’s registry. The Edge MDT has a built-in scanner and push-to-talk cellular. When paired with the Journey8 Tablet, a la carte pricing is available for IFTA accounting, driver scorecards and settlements, engine diagnostics and transportation management software system integrations with TMW Sys-tems or McLeod Software. The initial cost is $499 and up, depending on configuration, with a monthly fee of $25 and up depending on options and configuration.

iGlobal, IGlobalLLC.com

ISE FLEET SERVICES EFLEET SUITEISE Fleet Services’ eFleet Suite is a configurable end-to-end ELD that includes applications for electronic logs, DVIRs, compliance mapping and fuel tax data collection. An in-vehicle interface and a communications channel exchange information between the vehicle and a cloud-hosted web portal. Driver benefits include HOS records; calcu-lations of drive time availability and warnings of impending violations; an integrated DVIR workflow that ensures inspections are performed at the appropriate time; and HOS and DVIR documentation for roadside inspection. Fleet benefits include driver reports that are easily viewed, updated and printed; real-time information that assists in resource allocation and equipment defect resolution; CSA Fatigued Driver and Vehicle Maintenance BASIC scores; and other features. The initial cost is $575, with lease options available. The monthly fee is $24.

ISE Fleet Services, ISEFleetServices.com

NAVISTAR ONCOMMAND CONNECTIONNavistar’s OnCommand Connection Electronic Driver Log leverages the com-pany’s telematics offerings with BYOD capabilities for the Android and iOS operating platforms. ELD capabilities include automatic auditing of remaining time, error help, violation alerts, DVIRs and IFTA accounting. The system also offers full-featured telematics for GPS tracking, vehicle location, geofenc-ing, harsh braking and acceleration detection, idle reporting and breadcrumb trails. Also available are Navistar’s OnCommand Connection advanced diagnostics vehicle health reports, fault code severities and fault code action plans. The initial cost is $120 for the telematics hardware, with a monthly fee of $14.95 to $25.95, depending on options.

Navistar OnCommand Connection, OnCommandConnection.com

NERO GLOBAL TRACKINGNero Global Tracking provides ELD and GPS telematics solutions that help owner-operators streamline operations and increase revenue by providing accurate, measurable and timely business insights. The company supports BYOD options and also can provide in-cab hardware, including a tablet, rugged mount and power source. A live map with detailed trip, stop and off-hours usage reporting allows users to plan and organize routes more efficiently and improve productivity, and real-time GPS locations also help improve customer service. Speeding and driver behavior reports and alerts allow for identifying and coaching unsafe drivers to improve safety. Idle reports and alerts help reduce costs, and vehicle maintenance can be scheduled and managed in one place.

Nero Global Tracking, NeroGlobal.com

ELD PRODUCTS


OMNITRACS MCP, XRSThe Omnitracs Enterprise Services platform on the Intelligent Vehicle Gateway is com-patible with all MCP models and Omnitracs applications, with flexible connection and integration options. The system offers engine diagnostics, mobile-based weigh station bypass, IFTA accounting, in-cab scanning, truck navigation, geofencing, custom mobile forms, idle-time tracking and integration with transportation management software systems. Driver-friendly features include a large self-dimming screen, intuitive alerts and hands-free functionality. The initial cost is $799 and up, depending on the model, with lease options available. The monthly fee is $20 and up. The BYOD line of XRS products is available on company-certified Android and Windows Mobile devices. Flexible plans are available for fleets of any size. The initial cost is zero to lease and $200 for the engine relay, with a monthly fee of $20 and up.

Omnitracs, Omnitracs.com

PEDIGREE TECHNOLOGIES CAB-MATEPedigree Technologies offers Cab-Mate HOS systems for drivers and fleets. The base service plan also includes engine diagnostics and fuel-purchase and main-tenance functions, while the premium package includes IFTA accounting and navigation with oilfield capability. Cab-Mate Open is a BYOD system available for Android and iOS platforms. The initial cost is zero with a lease and $300 and up to purchase the hardware, with a monthly fee of $20 and up. The initial cost for the Cab-Mate Connect dedicated unit is $599 and up, with a monthly fee of $20 and up.

Pedigree Technologies, PedigreeTechnologies.com

PEGASUS TRANSTECH TRANSFLO ELD T7Pegasus TransTech’s Transflo ELD T7 is a BYOD solution available for Android and iOS platforms. In addition to HOS compliance, the base plan adds IFTA accounting and a one-year warranty, while the premium package adds vehicle analytics, driver behavior insights and accident detection and reconstruction. Integrations with other services can allow drivers to access load management, document capture, weather overlays and dispatch chat features. The initial cost is $99 for the hardware and harness, with a monthly fee of $25 to $31, depending on the plan.

Pegasus TransTech, Transflo.com

PEOPLENET EDRIVERLOGSPeopleNet’s eDriver Logs automates HOS tracking while reducing violations and improving driver efficiency and safety. The system provides fleet owners and drivers with real-time information without additional hardware or software. If an HOS violation is imminent, the system alerts the driver. The electronic grid displays updated driver log information inside the cab and at the back office. Fleets can access a snapshot of a driver’s profile, including company terminal, trailer and vehicle information. The system also meets state regulations for Texas, California, Florida and Alaska, as well as Canadian regulations below the 60th parallel for automatic onboard recording devices.

PeopleNet, PeopleNetOnline.com

RAND MCNALLYRand McNally provides devices for owner-operators and fleets of all sizes. All three systems offer transportation management software system integra-tion, IFTA accounting, mapping, analytics and engine diagnostics.

The ELD50 is a BYOD system available for the Android operating platform that also can be paired with the company’s TND tablet; the initial cost is $149, with a monthly fee of $15 and up. The HD100 is a BYOD system available for Android and iOS platforms, or it can be paired with the company’s TND tablet, and it also offers a cellular modem; the initial cost is $299, with a monthly fee of $20 and up. The TND765 is a dedicat-ed unit that also offers truck-specific navigation; the initial cost is $699, with a monthly fee of $20 and up.

Rand McNally, RandMcNally.com

SIMPLE TRUCK ELDSimple Truck ELD is a BYOD system for Android and iOS platforms, with tablet options available. The dedicated logging software is connected to the record-ing device’s interface with the ECM to capture geolocation, date, time, miles driven, duration of engine operation and if the vehicle is moving. The secure app includes standard data displays and transfer processes to help make it easier to accurately track, manage and share records of duty status with safety officials. The software includes provisions to help block data tampering and aid in prevention of driver harassment. The initial cost is zero to lease, with a monthly fee of $19 and up. The company offers a six-month free trial.

Simple Truck ELD, SimpleTruckELD.com

ELD PRODUCTS


VDO ROADLOGVDO RoadLog’s built-in thermal printer provides an instant copy resembling a traditional log grid for an inspection review. A printout elim-inates issues involving transferring log data that otherwise might lead to a driver handing over a cell phone to an officer or having an officer climb into the cab to review an ELD screen. VDO RoadLog ELDs work with VDO RoadLog Office, an online fleet management tool for automated compliance reporting designed for secure data transfers and automatic online record backup. The system also helps automate IRP and IFTA reporting, as well as pre- and post-trip inspections. Optional features include Driver/Vehicle Track & Trace, Load & Trip management, VDO RoadLog Office Advanced and VDO RoadLog Office Premium. VDO RoadLog is available without monthly fees or contracts. The initial cost is $700 or no cost with a lease option, with no additional charges for logs, DVIRs or IFTA data collection.

VDO Commercial Vehicles, VDORoadLog.com

SPIREON FLEETLOCATE FL7Spireon’s web-based FleetLocate management systems monitor vehicle and driver performance and give fleet operators insights into driver behavior and help them reduce fuel costs, idle time, labor, fleet mileage and maintenance-related downtime. FleetLocate FL7 is a BYOD system for Android and iOS platforms that offers compliant e-logs, IFTA accounting, driver safety alerts and reports, driver scores, audible alerts and engine diagnostics. There is no initial cost to lease. The monthly fee of is $26.95 and up, depending on add-ons.

Spireon, Spireon.com

TELETRAC NAVMAN DIRECTORTeletrac Navman’s Director fleet management platform tracks assets and collects data for business insights. In addition to reducing the paperwork necessary for tracking HOS, it provides second-by-second information to help carriers reduce operational expenses, identify trends, improve business processes and build a more efficient, safe and connected fleet. In addition to ensuring ongoing ELD mandate compliance as specifications are updated, Teletrac Navman Director HOS customers receive updated ELD mandate compliance specifications and free system installation and training. The system also offers sophisticated navigation and dispatch capabilities. There is no initial cost to lease. The monthly fee is $45 for the e-logs edition.

Teletrac Navman, TeletracNavman.comTELOGIS COMPLIANCETelogis Compliance helps ensure that logs are up to date while supporting federal and state rules as well as local exemptions. The system is designed so that drivers easily can provide HOS information during an inspection without any CSA-related form and manner and driving time violations. HOS duty and driver statuses update automatically, and automatic HOS limit warnings help drivers stay legal; HOS reports and alerts also are available for the back office. The solution offers DVIR compliance capability.

Telogis, Telogis.com

ZED CONNECT ZED ELDZed Connect’s Zed ELD is a BYOD Bluetooth-ready system for iOS and Android platforms. Zed’s Bluetooth adapter is compatible with 9-pin J1939 diagnostic ports – both Type 1 (black/gray) and Type 2 (green) – and uses multiple levels of se-curity to connect to Zed’s mobile app to capture the required ELD data for FMCSA compliance. For drivers, Zed ELD offers daily certification, HOS tracking, duty status records and DVIR reporting for DOT inspections to maintain compliance. It also offers routing and navigation, including real-time updates on road conditions, closures and construction. For fleets, the system also offers route management, GPS tracking, DVIR documentation and a dashboard. ZED intends to use its open platform to develop additional services. The device is designed for easy installation, and the initial cost is $200, with no monthly fee.

Zed Connect, Zed-ELD.com

ZONAR CONNECTZonar Connect is a dedicated ELD-com-pliant tablet that also offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for dispatch, management and operational functions, as well as a camera, navigation, Android compatibility and over-the-air updates. Connect is connected even when outside of the cab, allowing the driver to submit completed documents and electronic DVIRs to dispatch with-out returning to the truck. The tablet recharges in its in-cab cradle and integrates with the company’s Ground Traffic Control to help provide fleets with better visibility of assets on the road. Pricing for the unit and service fees vary according to fleet size, service plan and options.

Zonar, ZonarSystems.com

32 | Overdrive | June 2017

No small amount of road rumor has swirled around the trucking community about just what states might

do relative to the electronic logging device mandate for the subset of truck-

ers operating entirely within a state’s borders and keeping log books. If a state’s intrastate hours of service regula-tions differ at all from the federal inter-state rule, they tend to be less restrictive. They often allow more on-duty time,

more drive time and higher cumulative limits.

Joe Rajkovacz of the Western States Trucking Association says that until recently, the big question was: “Do states, for their intrastate markets,

The crazy quilt of intrastate logging

THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTINTRASTATE HAULING

States failing to adopt an e-logging mandate. Hours of service regs differing from the federal rule. ELDs missing state-specific features. For the intrastate driver required to use e-logs, the change could get complicated. BY TODD DILLS

Intrastate haulers exploring ELD options can access the extensive guide to the ELD market published in Overdrive’s April issue by searching “Inside the black box” at OverdriveOnline.com. Otherwise, contact information for ELD providers is available in a periodically updated quick-glance chart with pricing and other information via OverdriveOnline.com/ELDs, click “Full list …” box at top.

Todd

Dill

s

June 2017 | Overdrive | 33

thumb their noses” at the federal man-date? Rajkovacz is based in California, which, with Texas, represents the nation’s two largest intrastate markets in the lower 48.

Texas seemed to answer that question this year with additions to its regulatory code governing intrastate operations, making news in April. It adopted the federal mandate by reference to it, thus requiring implementation of ELDs for intrastate carriers. However, there was one significant revision: Given the size of Texas’ intrastate market, officials decided to delay the implementation timeline.

“If you’re a carrier in a small state,” says Texas Department of Public Safety Maj. Jeremy Nordloh, “you’re probably always under interstate rules. But you can have a significant intrastate opera-tion in Texas.”

Adding further fuel to intrastate-related road rumors is the additional complexity of a local hauling exemp-tion from the federal ELD mandate. Operators always running under the short-haul (100- or 150-air-mile radius) exemptions to the hours of service do not need to use an ELD. But if they do

occasionally run outside the radius, they can avoid using an ELD as long as they keep a log book for no more than eight days in any 30-day period. For intrastate mandates, the exemptions for pre-2000 model-year trucks and driveaway opera-tions also will apply.

Apart from state or federal ELD mandates, intrastate hours of service regulations in Texas are different than the federal rule most Overdrive read-ers operate under. For example, Texas allows 12 hours of driving in a 15-hour window, with a 70 hours in seven days cumulative on-duty limit. Hours regu-lations also differ in other states with significant intrastate markets, such as California, Alaska and Florida.

Many ELD providers support a variety of intrastate rules, delivering hours-limit warnings to drivers and carrier staff operating under a specific rule. However, many new providers entered the market following the federal mandate. Most of their products offer compliance warnings, time counters and such, but not all have options for par-ticular intrastate rules.

Texas’ relaxed timeline for intrastate haulers requires ELD use on Dec. 19, 2019, two years beyond the December 2017 deadline for interstate truckers. Chief in calculating that delay, Nordloh says, is a concern over having enough providers to support Texas’ intrastate rules. “We gave it a blanket deadline in December 2019 to give as much benefit to the intrastate carriers as we could,” he says.

With that date, Texas has pushed adoption and enforcement of the ELD rule a bit further than is techni-cally allowed by federal regulation, meaning there could be some risk to federal funding of safety and enforce-ment programs. Guidance in Title 49, Part 355, of the Code of Federal Regulations requires states to “adopt and enforce” federal regulations per-taining to intrastate commercial vehicle operations within three years of the effective date of the federal regulation. Since the effective date for the ELD rule was February 16, 2016, the three

years would be up in February 2019, 10 months before the state’s deadline for compliance with its intrastate rule.

Federal officials did not respond to an inquiry about Texas’ compliance with that guidance.

Many states responding to Overdrive queries noted they already had adopted the ELD regulation and were sticking to the federal timeline for the intrastate haulers under the hours of service in their states. However, most of these states use hours limitations for intrastate hauling, with some exceptions, that are identical to the federal rules.

Not all exception states are push-ing against the three-year regulatory adoption requirement as aggressively as Texas. At press time, Florida’s Legislature was adopting federal regulations and specified a Dec. 31, 2018 date for ELD implementation for carriers operating under its daily limits of 12-hour-drive/16-on-duty, or cumulative 70 hours in seven days or 80 in eight.

“This gives the intrastate industry time to come into compliance after our legislation passes,” says Major Derek Barrs of the Florida Highway Patrol’s commercial vehicle enforce-ment office. He notes this is similar to what was “done for interstate car-riers after the rule went into effect” in early 2016, with interstate enforce-ment following near the end of this year, Barrs says.

California might be the most significant remaining intrastate out-lier, given the size of its market. Jill Schultz, hours regulations expert for J.J. Keller & Associates, suspects that, unlike Florida’s legislative and Texas’ quick adoption-by-reference methods, the Golden State likely will go through a regulatory action. “California has not put a proposal out yet,” Schultz says.

Officials with the California Highway Patrol declined to comment on a time-line. Fran Clader in CHP’s communica-tions office says the agency is developing “regulations for ELDs, including appli-cability to intrastate drivers/carriers.”

What hours of service rule are you operating under?

Texas 4% California 3% Florida 2% Other 2% Varies 4%

Primary U.S. interstate or combination of U.S./Canadian rules 79%

Short-haul exception 6%

Intrastate 11%

Approximately one in every nine Overdrive readers operates exclusively under one of the different intrastate hours of service rules. The large majority of those in-state haulers are in Texas, California and Florida. Those states allow for more drive time (12 hours) and on-duty time (15 or 16 hours) in their daily limits. Their cumulative limits are higher for in-state haulers, too, though states treat those limits slightly differently.


THE CRAZY QUILT OF INTRASTATE LOGGING

The short answer: As a matter of regulation, no. The electronic logging device mandate is written in a manner that is more or less agnostic to the hours of service rule a particular driver is operat-ing under.

Hence so many states’ ability to adopt the federal regulations for ELDs with relative ease and speed. This went unnoticed by most watchers until it mattered, when Texas, with a massive intrastate market as well as an intrastate hours rule that differs significantly from the federal rule, adopted the mandate by reference with some addenda.

But when it comes to picking an ELD for intrastate operation, choose wisely if your state has significant hours differences from the federal rule. If the device doesn’t support your rule in its functionality, you might not ben-efit from compliance warnings and quick-glance counters that most devices supply.

“The ELD mandate technical specifications do not mention anything about the [60 hours in seven days or 70 in eight days] cycle rule or exceptions that a CMV driver is currently operating under, and that information is not captured in the required data output file” in roadside inspections, says Ryan Johns, chief technology officer for ELD provider KeepTruckin. “That said, KeepTruckin has implemented a number of state-specific rules to help drivers and safety managers avoid HOS violations.”

Among those supported by KeepTruckin’s app are the Califor-nia, Texas and Alaska intrastate rules, plus several Canadian rules. From the admin account where an owner-operator would set up a driver profile, there’s also an option to select “Other” for the applicable rule, allowing for the program to work on a baseline recordkeeping level like a slightly more automated paper log, with little added compli-

ance assistance in computing available hours.

Compliance assistance, however, is a feature some operators appreci-ate about e-logs. An owner-operator of a Bakersfield, California-based small fleet wrote Overdrive in April with concern that he was having a “hard time finding companies that have the California [intrastate] hours of service and agriculture exemptions.”

Many prominent providers of ELD hardware and software support California’s intrastate rule. However, the agricultural exemption, similar to the base rule but with longer cumulative on-duty limits and a shorter rest period (and no restart), was supported by only one manufac-turer the operator had contacted at that point.

“So far, Rand McNally is the only player,” he said. Two other prominent providers he’d consulted didn’t support the ag exemption. J.J. Keller’s Encompass log-auditing system, which the small fleet uses, supports the California ag-rule sets in its log-auditing component, but not in the mobile app that powers the associated ELD.

Nonetheless, in the view of Tom Reader, J.J. Keller marketing director, support for differing rule sets in ELD applications is neces-sary for the value proposition of minimizing the compliance burden. Keller Encompass “has 18 rule sets built into the app,” Reader says.

“The driver can choose which rule set applies to him or her. … These features are present to ensure proper compliance and remove doubt or confusion around regulations.”

Ravi Kodavarti, Rand McNally’s director of product management, concurs that ELDs ought to deliver benefits beyond just bedrock compliance. A basic-compliance-only device “wouldn’t be telling the driver how much time you have left to drive, a key part of the value proposition.”

IS IT NECESSARY FOR AN ELD TO ‘SUPPORT’ INTRASTATE HOURS RULES?

The table shown here from the Rand McNally DriverConnect ELD app’s user guide illustrates the variety of possible exemptions to U.S. and state hours of service regulations that depend upon segment or com-modity, and likewise, the breadth of variance in intrastate rules. J.J. Keller & Associates’ Jill Schultz says that as many as 40 states have hours-related regulations for intrastate carriers that differ in some way from those for interstate truckers. Most of those are relative to varying definitions for what qualifies as a commercial vehicle, but a dozen or so have different time limits, as allowed by federal regulation.

Hours of service exemptions


THE CRAZY QUILT OF INTRASTATE LOGGING

Intrastate ELD mandate status

CaliforniaBecause of its size, the Golden State remains the most significant outlier rela-tive to its approach to the intrastate ELD mandate, still up in the air as of press time.

AlaskaThe state’s dispensation in the Code of Federal Regulations for hours of service allows up to 15 hours of driving in a 20-hour on-duty window for intra- and interstate drivers, with 70 hours in seven days or 80 in eight days cumulative limits. Aves Thomp-son of the Alaska Trucking Associa-tion says the state is in a “holding pattern” on adopting the regulations for intrastate haulers and that he suspects it will happen this year, whether on a relaxed timeline or not.

OREGON & WASHINGTONBoth states, as in some others with big intrastate markets and alternative hours rules, were in the process of adopting the ELD mandate at press time. While Kevin Valentine of the Washington State Patrol says he sees “no restrictions on the timeline at this point,” in Oregon things are more uncertain. David McKane, oversee-ing the state DOT’s safety programs, says Oregon does adopt federal regulations but hasn’t discuss deviat-ing from the federal ELD timeline.

ArizonaDepartment of Public Safety Capt. Brian Preston says he doubts the state will adopt an ELD mandate for intrastate truckers by yearend. That means a relaxed timeline for ELD implementation is likely. Log book requirements start at 18,001 pounds.

June 2017 | Overdrive | 37

DelawareAs in numerous other states, Delaware adopts all federal regulations for its tiny intrastate market but limits applicability to vehicles weighing 26,001 pounds or more, exempt-ing lighter vehicles. In any state where the same is in place, intrastate haulers operating lighter vehicles wouldn’t need to run with ELDs, as they aren’t re-quired to keep logs.

TexasIntrastate carriers keeping logs will be required to use ELDs as of December 2019. That’s the most significantly delayed deadline as yet among all states in the process of mandate adoption.

Georgia & VirginiaSpokespersons stress their states’ intent to adopt an ELD mandate with an enforcement timeline similar to the federal rule, but both say things could change before December.

FloridaThe state has its legislative sights set on the last day of 2018 for its enforcement deadline for intrastate haulers running ELDs. Intrastate hazmat haulers, however, will be subject to the federal timelines.

LegendAdopted or likely to adopt ELD mandate for intrastate haulers on same timeline as federal rule

Intrastate ELD mandate timeline not yet known (or state officials had yet to respond to Overdrive inquiries)

Adopted a relaxed timeline for intrastate ELD mandate

July 2017 | Overdrive | 35

One of the less publicized but highly critical aspects of the electronic logging device mandate involves a

new platform that will transfer ELD data from roadside to a central federal system.

The electronic record of duty sta-tus data platform is supposed to be working by Dec. 18. On that date, inspectors from state Departments of Transportation and police departments will be required to begin enforcing the ELD mandate’s requirement for most drivers to use an ELD. They’re also supposed to interpret whether an ELD indicates a potential hours of service violation, which in many cases will not be as simple as it sounds.

One thing has been made clear, however, by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Come Dec. 18, running without an ELD if you’re not exempt will net you eight hours out of service at roadside.

FMCSA spokesman Duane DeBruyne didn’t directly answer a question about whether he suspected most states would have their inspectors up to speed on

access points to a planned central fed-eral system for ELD data transfer and analysis, or even whether the technology to facilitate the system at the state level would be in place.

“FMCSA is planning to have data transfer capability ready by December of 2017. If data transfer is unavailable, the printout or display options [one of which is required of all ELDs] will be used to enforce hours of service.”

A variety of factors suggest those print/display backup methods will be important in most log checks.

As of press time, the agency was expected to deliver elements of its planned data-transfer protocol to ELD vendors to test against as early as late June, among the first steps toward roll-out of the new eRODS program to states. With the electronic data transfer system, FMCSA in some ways is central-izing hours enforcement in a federal sys-tem for most methods of data transfer.

The agency has contracted a third party to develop software housed in the federal system to analyze logs sent from the field through its central system

for possible violations. State inspectors theoretically then would investigate any flagged potential violations. Many states, however, currently aren’t anywhere near 100 percent sure what that piece will look like – or how exactly they would interact with it.

The ELD mandate specified two types of devices, each type required to sup-port at least two data-transfer methods. For local-transfer devices, Bluetooth and USB 2.0 are the required methods. For telematics-type devices – most of the ELDs on the market today, with an internet connection – the ability to upload and email hours data is required.

FMCSA hoped states would support at least one method from each pair at the roadside, thus accommodating any device. As a backup, the rule likewise required every ELD to either include a printing capability or display current and previous-seven-days hours infor-mation with a graph grid analogous to today’s paper log books.

“We have not determined the primary data transfer method we will support,” says Fran Clader of the California

Presenting logs at roadside The ELD mandate

specified two types of devices, each capable of at least two methods of transferring data to an inspector.

Running with an e-logs device is one thing. Communicating e-log data to an inspector is quite another. With five months to go, states’ data transfer plans vary widely, and an ambitious federal program remains untested. BY TODD DILLS THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTENFORCEMENT

36 | Overdrive | July 2017

PRESENTING LOGS AT ROADSIDE

LOCAL OR TELEMATICS METHOD OF DATA TRANSFER BluetoothorUSB2.0 Wirelessweboremail Relianceonprint/display

Arizona Unsure Emaillikely Likelytobeheavyforalldevicetypes

Arkansas USB Email Likelyincursorychecks,datatransferifissuesnoted

California Unsure Unsure Training/evaluationongoing

Colorado USB Email Dependentondevice’sabilitytodisplayadequatedetail

Delaware Unsure Unsure Nocommentoffered

Florida USB Email.Webinfuture Willplayaroleinlogchecks

Georgia USBlikely Email Dependentondevice’sabilitytodisplayadequatedetail

Idaho Unsure Emaillikely Likelyincursorychecks,printingordatatransferifissues

Illinois Unsure Unsure Likelygivencommonrelianceincurrentpractice

Indiana USBtransferprohibited Email Nocommentoffered

Iowa None Email Forlocal-transferdevices,relianceondisplay/printerwillbekey

Kansas Unsure Emaillikely Faxes/printsaccepted,displaycouldbekeyinlieuofothermethods

Kentucky Unsure Unsure Nocommentoffered

Mass. Unsure Unsure Nocommentoffered

Michigan USB/Bluetoothtransferprohibited Both Forlocal-transferdevices,relianceonthoroughdisplay/printer

Minnesota None Email Nocommentoffered

Missouri USB Both “Handlingamobiledevicenotpreferred,printcouldbevaluable”

Ohio Both Both Nocommentoffered

Oklahoma None Email LikelytobeheavierthanforcurrentAOBRDusers

Oregon None Email Likelytobeheavyforalldevicetypes

Tennessee Unsure Emaillikely Likelyformostinspections

Texas None Email Officerlikelytotransferdataonlyifviolationssuspected

Vermont Unsure Email Nosignificantchangetocurrentpracticelikely

Virginia Unsure Unsure Likelyinitially,notencouragedasofficersgetuptospeedontransfers

Washington None Email Relianceondisplay/printoutifemailnotavailablefromdevice

Wisconsin None Both Forlocal-transferdevices,relianceondisplay/printerwillbekey

Wyoming Unsure Unsure Dependentonneedsofofficerduringinspection

Ofthe27statesthatrespondedtoOverdrivequeriesabouttheirpreparationsforELDmandateenforcement,sevenareuncertainaboutboththelocalandtelematicstransfermethodthey’llsupport.RepresentativesinsuchstatesstressthatgiventheremaininguncertaintyaroundFMCSA’sroadsidesoftware,it’stooearlytomakethecall.

Highway Patrol’s communications office. Like FMCSA, though, Clader remained confident that state roadside personnel would be ready by December.

Another 15 states either were unsure or, for different reasons, didn’t plan on supporting a local-transfer option.

While in Indiana, “each inspector has his/her own laptop computer and secure

email account and can send and receive emails,” says State Police Maj. Jon Smithers. “We won’t use USB devices. Our state security rules prevent us from using USB devices that have been in contact with an outside device.”

Smithers didn’t totally rule out Bluetooth for a local-transfer option, but other states in similar situations relative to

USB have done so. Michigan, for instance: “Currently, the State of Michigan IT pol-icy prohibits the attachment of any unau-thorized equipment to an IT resource,” says State Police Sgt. Joseph Austin.

Given all of these issues, three prima-ry methods of transfer for the foresee-able future are likely to be most promi-nent in log checks.

38 | Overdrive | July 2017

PRESENTING LOGS AT ROADSIDE

E-mailAmong the telematics options for trans-fer, states are most familiar with email output from current-generation auto-matic onboard recording devices, the current regulated type of device. Legacy AOBRDs can be used by carriers that have installed them prior to the Dec. 18 ELD enforcement for two years, until

December 2019, when full ELD imple-mentation is scheduled. Smartphone-based log book apps popular with owner-operators such as BigRoad and KeepTruckin, both currently also offered with engine connections to function as AOBRDs, make it relatively easy to output an email with the required hours compliance information to inspectors.

In the case of BigRoad, says Mike

Davies, company product vice president, “We’re taking a belt-and-suspenders approach” given skepticism about the broad rollout of the data-transfer system FMCSA wants in place in the states by Dec. 18. “We’re not taking away any of the options” for displaying required hours information to an officer. Printing with a Bluetooth-connected peripheral printer, faxing and emailing will remain options as the program comes under the ELD specification.

Come Dec. 18, Davies says, “There will be states that will de facto fall back to how they inspect AOBRD systems today. We’ll be adding eRODS [capabil-ity] and keeping all the other pieces in there as backup.”

Vermont Capt. Kevin Andrews, not-ing his state was not “prepared to accept [logs] any other way” than email, sug-gested that eRODS likely wouldn’t be a total reality before the final Phase 3 of the ELD rule, which begins in December 2019. Until then, the follow-ing options are likely to play as large a role in roadside transfer as email.

Device displayThe display required by the ELD rule specifies use of a graph grid similar to that in paper logs today, but that’s not all it requires. The illustration below shows other information likewise will be available through prints and displays for officers.

Among states responding to Overdrive queries, only Missouri reported total reticence to rely on the display for current and previous-seven-days log checks. This carries over from years prior when computer-assisted logs on drivers’ laptops and cellphones (not synced with the truck’s ECM) became de rigueur in trucking. The Show-Me State only wanted those drivers’ logs shown on a piece of paper, given liability issues, says Highway Patrol Lt. Kevin Kelley.

In the ELD era, checking a device’s display or a print, however, will play second fiddle there to USB, wireless web

OUT-OF-SERVICE CONDITIONS RELATED TO ELDSTheCommercialVehicleSafetyAlliance’san-nouncementoftheavailabilityoftheupdatedout-of-servicecriteriahandbooknotedamend-mentsrelatedtoelectronicloggingdevices.Unlikepreviousupdates,however,thealliancedidn’tspelloutthoseadditions.

CloserexaminationofthebookitselfrevealsthatnonearenewOOSconditions.Rather,they’refootnotesrelatedtocurrentOOSconditionshavingtodowiththehoursofservice,namelyhavingnologbook,havingnoprevioussevendaysoflogsandpresentingafalselog.AllrequireputtingthedriverOOSforeightconsecutivehours.

•Ifadriver/carrierisn’tusinganELDonFMCSA’sdeviceregistry,it’sconsideredtobehavingnologbook.There’sawrinkleinthis,though,givenFMCSA’sgrandfatherperiodforcurrent-generationautomaticonboardrecordingdevices.AOBRDsmeetingfairlyminimalrequirementscomparedtoELDspecsareessentiallygrandfatheredthroughDec.16,2019.TheELDmandatenotesthatanycarrierinstallinganAOBRDpriortothisyear’sELDenforcementdatecanusethatdeviceuntilthe2019date.Practically,whatthatmeansisthatenforc-ingtherequirementtousearegistry-listeddeviceisunlikelybeforethattime,particu-larlyforcarriersthatcomplywiththeELDruleandinstallanengine-connectede-logpriortoDec.18.Sotheregistry’simpor-tanceforcarrierschoosingELDsatthisstageisminimal.IfplacedOOSforthisonepriorto2019,andyouhaveproofyouwereusinganELD/AOBRDpriortoDec.18thisyear,thiscouldbecauseforachallengetoremoveitfromyourrecord.

•Adriver“unabletoproduceortransferthedata”fromanAOBRDorELDatroadsidewillbeconsideredtohavenologandbeplacedOOS.

•Ifyouuseaspecialdrivingcategory–a

yardmoveorpersonalconveyance,forex-ample–“whennotinvolvedinthatactivity,”you’reconsideredtohaveafalselog.

•IntheeventofAOBRD/ELDfailure,inabilitytoreconstructtheprevioussevendaysoflogswillnetyouanhoursviolationfornothavingthelogs.Fortunately,infail-urecases,ifyou’reatrueindependentwithauthorityandyouhaveaccesstothewebatroadside,withmostELDplatformsyou’llbeabletoaccessyourlogstoeitheremailtoanofficerorprinttocarrywithyoudowntheroadincaseofaninspection.Keepapaperloginthetruckforon-the-spotmalfunctionbackupsforthatcurrentperiod.Ifyou’releasedoracompanydriver,it’snotuncommonthatdriversinsuchsituationsmovetoapaperlogfortheircurrentperiodandhavetheirrequiredprevioussevendays’logsemailedtothemoranofficer.

•Failurebyacarrierto“repairamal-functioningelectronicloggingdevicewithineightdays,”asrequiredbythemandate,ortoobtainanextensionfromFMCSAwillnetano-logbookOOS.

•FailurebyadrivertousetheELDlikeit’ssupposedtobeused(loggedinwithyourdriverprofile)meritsano-logbookOOS.

•Ifyou’renotanexemptedcarrierordriverunderthetermsoftheELDmandateandyou’renotusinganELD,you’llbeconsideredtohavenologbook.

Intermsofyourcompanysafetyrecord,yourownifyou’vegotauthority,havingnologcomeswitha5(outof10)severityweightintheCompliance,Safety,Account-abilitySafetyMeasurementSystem–notpubliclyavailableatthemoment,butstillimpactfulinsomebusinessrelationships.OOSviolationsintheCSASMS’scoringmethodologyalsoreceiveextraweight–2morepoints.

July 2017 | Overdrive | 39

and email transfer, Kelley says. “As a last resort, we may look at the graph grid.”

Missouri, however, is the outlier. Outside of that state, as noted Maj. Todd Armstrong of the Illinois State Police, “Most roadside inspectors today already use this option [of reviewing the display] when looking at any form of electronic hours of service allowed in today’s regulations.” Some other states also noted varying degrees of likely significant reliance on display and/or

print options at roadside, particularly if no obvious issues with hours regulations compliance are noted.

Maj. Jay Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Police expressed a measure of uncertainty as to the full extent of display reliance, but speculated “officers will review the actual grid on the device and only transmit a copy if and when violations are discovered.”

Similarly, Idaho representatives remain fairly unsure about just how

everything will play out, but Capt. Tim Horn says that “the majority of the time [officers] will be reviewing the screen … of the device the driver is using.” Detailed email, fax or other transfers the officer can print likely will be requested “if the trooper sees a discrepancy that he needs to investigate.”

PrintoutThe market for purely local-transfer devices is small at this point, with Continental’s VDO RoadLog the most prominent among them. RoadLog is the only device with a built-in printer, though it also offers logs on its display. It comes with no follow-on costs after purchase but for the printer’s high-heat paper – $10 a roll, good for about two roadside inspections.

Many owner-operators are gravitating to the base RoadLog version given the lack of a cellular connection opened up within it. For those for whom both infor-mation security and personal privacy is a concern, choosing RoadLog also could satisfy worries about overreliance of handling an operator’s ELD, in many cases also a personal smartphone.

“It’s been an important thing for those owner-operators that want their privacy,” says Jeff Waterstreet, company sales manager.

Also given the questions around rollout of the data-transfer software, Waterstreet says, “We’ve taken the angle that troopers over the next few years are going to really love the built-in printer.” That point is underscored by the rela-tively small number of states planning to support local-transfer options.

The ability to print with other ELDs via peripheral devices may be useful for others. Any ELD that began its life as a computer-assisted log book should contain that ability. As BigRoad’s Davies says, though FMCSA has offered guid-ance on accepting digital signatures of daily logs via those log book programs, that same guidance still stresses that drivers need to be able to print today if using such a program.

ManyELDsystemsbasedonsmartphonesortabletappsfallinthecategoryof“bringyourowndevice.”ButbecausetheyrelyoncellularandBluetoothconnections,BYODsystemscanbemorepronetocon-nectivityproblems.

TheDCTransportall-owner-operatorsmallfleetexperiencedproblemswithJ.J.Keller’sEncompassELDpairedwithopera-tors’smartphones,asreportedinApril.

TheproblemswerewithdroppedBlue-toothconnectionsenroute.Thiscausesunassigned-drivingeventstomountforback-officesystemoperatorsresponsibleforreconcilingmultipledriveraccounts,nottomentionpresentingissuesoflogcurrencyfordriversduringroadsideinspections.

TheFederalMotorCarrierSafetyAdministrationhostedELDprovider

companiesinWashington,D.C.,inMaytodiscussimplementationofthemandateandrequirementsplacedonprovidersregardingself-certification.FMCSAspecial-istDanielleSmithnotedanotherissuewithBYOD-typeELDs.

Specifically,sheaddressedthesitua-tionofasimilardroppedconnectioninanyELDthatpairssoftwareonanopera-tor’sphonewithanengine-connectedde-viceovertheairviacellularconnection.Theuseofsucha“cloudELD,”astheGeotabcompanycallsitsdevice,couldbelimitedforoperatorswhoseroutestakethemthroughareaswithspottytononexistentcellcoverage.

BeawareofsuchlimitationsbeforeinvestinginanyELDsolution,andkeepapaperloghandyforseriousorprolongedmalfunctions.

WEAK LINKS CAN HAMPER APP-BASED ELDS

IntheELDmandate’sappendix,FMCSAprovidesthisillustrationtoshowtheformatofthewealthofdataitexpectedtheback-updisplayand/orprintmethodstopresenttoroadsideofficersinlieuofadata-transferoption.Anotherillustrationaddsdutystatuschanges,includingtimesandlocations.

32 | Overdrive | August 2017

Every Wednesday, Diane McHaney downloads average-rate data from DAT Solutions. As an analyst for Barton

Logistics, a brokerage based in Bandera, Texas, she identifies trends in spot and contract freight markets.

Of particular interest is the mode — the most frequently occurring value in the data set. Also important is the stan-dard deviation of DAT’s rolling 15- and 30-day spot market average-rate data. Both indicators help identify early signs of rate volatility.

One year ago, this analysis led McHaney and Criss Wilson, Barton’s vice president of operations, to predict that rates would begin to increase dra-matically by late 2016 as more carriers

came into compliance with the elec-tronic logging device mandate. Pricing would be much higher, they surmised, as ELDs took capacity away from small fleets and owner-operators by squeezing their utilization.

Their predictions, which have been echoed around the industry for years, have been wrong, and they well know it. One reason is that because the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s court challenge of the mandate loomed large until June, when the challenge met its end, few owner-operators moved to adopt ELDs. The same can be said for the smallest of small fleets in Overdrive’s audience.

Among Overdrive readers who say they intend to continue trucking after the

ELDs’ capacity squeeze M

ax H

eine

Predictions vary widely, but there’s reason to believe rates will rise enough to be a notable reward from an unwelcome imposition. BY TODD DILLS AND AARON HUFF

THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTRATES

Owner-operators’ view on the ELD mandate’s

potential effect on rates

Source: OverdriveOnline.com May 2017 poll

Rates will rise after the mandate 36%

Rates will rise, but not for long 22%

Rates will be unaffected 25%

Rates will fall 8%

Unsure 9%

Small fleet owner Monte Wiederhold might be among the fifth of owners who see the potential for a brief rate bump. “Every time there’s some sort of a major new regulation,” he says, rate growth is predicted. “I’m one of those guys who says, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ – and if I see it for a long-enough time and it’s not just a little bump.”

With the rigor imposed by ELDs, detention becomes a more critical factor when it holds potential to add a sec-ond day to what used to be a one-day haul, throwing a new wrench into rate negotiations.

August 2017 | Overdrive | 33

mandate comes into play at the end of the year, only 20 percent report using e-logs today, many of them leased to larg-er carriers that have required it for years. While that percentage is up from spring 2016 levels when nearly identical poll-ing at OverdriveOnline.com showed 14 percent of respondents using e-logs, it’s hardly approaching universal adoption.

According to recent polling, six in 10 Overdrive readers, largely an anti-ELD mandate group, believe there will be at least an upward bump, if not a pro-longed change, in rates. Two principle assumptions underpin the notion that ELDs will impact the industry enough to result in capacity shortages that drive up rates.

Fewer milesASSUMPTION NO. 1: Many drivers now are running more miles than they otherwise could if strictly adhering to the hours of service rule.A solo owner-operator running strictly legal hours would be hard-pressed to top 125,000 annual miles, says Todd Amen, president of ATBS, the nation’s largest owner-operator financial services provider. Estimating that half of today’s trucks don’t have an ELD, “when we put in this ELD mandate, we’re going to lose 8 to 12 percent of the miles that we run.” Rates, he says, “are going to have to go up to compensate.”

In Overdrive’s February report on this series, we reported a 3 to 6 percent pro-ductivity drop, post-ELDs, for larger car-riers. Some owner-operators have noted larger drops.

With so many large carriers already operating with e-logs, a reduction in overall capacity on the lower end of the oft-noted 3 to 6 percent productivity drop reported by carriers may be most likely. Craig Fuller of the TransRisk rate-hedging service believes the rate impact of a small drop, likely to be a couple percentage points over the next two years, would be minimal.

But if the equivalent of 6 percent of available capacity were taken out of the market, the impact on rates would

be “exponentially more” because of how the supply chain works, Fuller says. Shippers likely would overbid rates to ensure their loads move quickly enough.

The ELD rule’s full impact will be dif-ficult to gauge, he says, since other vari-ables could play a factor for the remain-der of 2017 and into 2018: e-commerce growth, changes in trade policy, govern-ment spending and more.

Amen, like the Barton Logistics ana-lysts, admits he’s gotten a fair number of his own forecasts relative to ELDs and rates wrong. In spring 2016, Amen pre-dicted that miles for his owner-operator clients would drop in 2016 as the ELD transition picked up steam. On the contrary, miles rose as owner-operators ran harder to make up for lackluster rates through most of the year. Most continued to postpone ELDs as long as possible.

Amen also predicted 2016 rates would be up 10 percent or more, which didn’t happen. He says he was “just early” on that one, as rate indexes began to swing in a positive direction for truckers in late 2016 and into 2017.

Whatever the timing, Amen and some others still believe ELDs will push up rates. Speaking on a conference call with owner-operators in April, he said the ELD transition is “going to mean great things for you, ultimately. … Once that takes the ability to run [excess] miles out of the industry, there will be more freight, and rates will have to go up.”

Don’t count Monte Wiederhold, own-er-operator of nine-truck B.L. Reever Transport, among the true believers. Wiederhold faults the assumption that there’s much “skipping a trip,” or hid-den drive time, going on among pros today. “I’ve been through a couple DOT

Detention pay as productivity stimulusFollowing a shift to e-logs, Old Time Express’ Mark White doubled the small fleet’s detention rate with its direct cus-tomers, who account for about 85 percent of its business, from $50 to $100 an hour after two free hours. That free time, something of an industry standard, he’s now cut in half with most of the brokers he uses, insisting on $100 an hour for detention after a single free hour when he can. “On any load – two hours loading, two hours unloading – that’s four hours you’ve lost,” he says. “You’re going to lose some productivity going paper to electronic, but it’s not all on the trucking company. Shippers and receivers are going to have to understand that they play a bigger role in it than anybody.” Hear a conversation with White and his brother, Mitch, via a July edition of the Overdrive Radio podcast: OverdriveOnline.com/OverdriveRadio.


ELDS’ CAPACITY SQUEEZE

audits,” he says. “In this day and age, to be able to hide that stuff ” is more difficult with the burden of supporting-documents proof put on carriers. “In this electronic age,” even if you’re using a paper log, “it’s hard to hide anything.”

Wiederhold’s also jaded because he’s heard similar talk of a rate hike around

every major regulatory change to hit trucking over the last few decades: Capacity was going to fall, so rates would rise. Such predictions accom-panied deregulation and introductions of the commercial driver’s license, the 14-hour rule and the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.

“There will be all this freight out here, and nobody to haul it, and the rates are just going to go up,” Wiederhold paraphrases, adding that this rationale encourages self-fulfilling prophecy. “Let’s say today there’s something to do with the winter in South America where cof-fee beans are grown, and people start

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES: WHERE RATES COULD SPIKEWhere to look for the most likely ELD effect on rates? High-volume lanes between 500 and 750 miles, which DAT analyst Mark Montague calls the “dangerous lanes.” It’s those where load/unload hiccups or in-transit delays easily can extend a one-day haul into a second day.

“Today a lot of those lanes can be done in a day – not that illegal if you creatively log,” he says. “So all of a sudden, you’ve got something that’s an absolute. Shippers will have to change the supply chain, use more team drivers for stuff.”

That’s possible. Or drop/hook situations for small fleets and owner-operators who can swing it with extra owned or leased trailers could mitigate the issues on either end, depending on length of haul.

Mark White of Old Time Express typically doesn’t bid with his customers on lanes that are longer than 650 miles any more after his company’s e-log transition four years ago.

“You can’t do it in one stretch with a single driver,” he says. “You end up having to take more than one break on the roundtrip, and it just ties your truck up. And the customer doesn’t end up wanting to pay the premium that it would take to offset that extra time.”

There’s some evidence more owner-operators are thinking like White. In broker negotiations, they’re digging in when it comes to time, thinking about rates in days rather than miles.

“They have to,” says Barton Logistics broker Criss Wilson, who himself has seen loads that might well have gone for one-day prices get negotiated like they’re two-day loads as owner-operators’ thinking shifts ahead of ELDs. “Before ELDs, they could work the system,” he says. “The ELDs will get rid of any flexibility that the driver had. If the [appointment times on either end] don’t add up, you’re going to pay for it. I don’t think the

world’s largest big-box retailers have figured that out yet.”

The strong spot market rates this spring noted by DAT didn’t have much to do with ELDs – yet, says Montague. But Wilson, speaking in the midst of the recent upturn, attributed the tightening market to carriers’ changed calculus, partly due to ELDs or the

expectation of them. Carriers “won’t tolerate pickup and de-

livery times” that aren’t fine-tuned to their schedule, he said. And if you get in a bind and have to negotiate on the day of pickup, “you’ll get eaten alive.” More often, truckers want loads booked a day or two ahead as time management becomes more important.

BY TODD DILLS

RATES TO THE TRUCK

Transit and lead-time stressors

Loads dispatched for today and picking up today, with pickup times 0800 or

earlier, with late-in-day delivery appoint-ments, with incorrect transit times or transit that only can be accomplished

illegally, with a large amount of idle time between pickup and delivery

Cyclical demands

The logistical challenges for freight in high demand, seasonal or otherwise. Four categories in

recent high demand: Food & beverage, grocery, produce

and other seasonal commodities.

Multiple-stop picks or drops

Runs where dwell/idle time wastes transit time

This slightly edited graphic came from broker Criss Wilson, who did an analysis of his own book of freight busi-ness in four recent weeks. When load characteristics fit any one of these categories, “it was enough to really hurt” Barton Logistics’ margin. “If you put all three together, we were really upside down.”


ELDS’ CAPACITY SQUEEZE

talking about a coffee bean shortage. The price of coffee beans doesn’t go up six months from now – it goes up imme-diately. Then there’s a little bump, and people all say, ‘Well, we kind of wore that one out,’ and it’s back to situation normal. And I think it’s the same situa-tion with this.”

The fickle nature of the spot market for freight, and brokered loads in gen-eral, is more likely to adjust quickly to the new reality than experience any sort of long-term improvement, Wiederhold believes.

Talking enough about a big ELD effect on productivity may yield that self-fulfilling prophecy in contract nego-tiations between large carriers and their shipper customers, Wiederhold says, but it won’t be as simple for smaller carriers. They often don’t have much leverage with shippers beyond providing excellent service.

On the contrary, at this moment there’s evidence of shippers speed-ing up or otherwise extending their bidding processes to get out ahead of rate expectations from the mandate. In May, Walmart wrote carriers and brokers participating in its annual bid, noting a “high variance in rates” was submitted for its truckload bid. In response, the retailer announced it would invite additional nonincumbent parties to participate in a third round. Historically, Walmart has conducted only two rounds of bidding before awarding lanes.

Mark White of Old Time Express, a

Tennessee-based 25-truck fleet founded by his father, Bo, in the 1990s, was sur-prised by an email from an important customer in June. “We thought maybe it was a one-off bid on a particular lane,” White says, but “it turned out to be their whole package” of contract freight. White believes “they’re trying to get out on the front end and get some pricing nailed down. They realize it could go up

and go up quite a bit.”

Flight from industryASSUMPTION NO. 2: Owner-operator-controlled businesses will leave the industry in large enough numbers to produce a significant capacity shortage in the spot market, driving up rates.

DAT analysts heard what Overdrive saw upon release of the ELD mandate Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in early 2014 — an alarmingly large number of operators noting an intention to exit the industry if the mandate went through. Overdrive’s initial survey about the man-date yielded percentages as high as 71 percent of nonleased independents say-ing they’d hang up the keys for good.

How much of those threats, DAT’s Ken Harper asks, is bluster? “We’re playing with fire” when trying to draw real conclusions from such polling, Harper says.

B.L. Reever Transport owner-operator Monte Wiederhold, based in Ohio, trucks himself in this 2000 Western Star. Hear a talk with Wiederhold, also an Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association board member, on ELDs and rates via the Overdrive Radio podcast: OverdriveOnline.com/OverdriveRadio.

Cre

dit:

Cou

rtes

y of

Mon

te W

iede

rhol

d

Owner-operators’ most likely response to the ELD mandate, after OOIDA’s failed challenge

Source: OverdriveOnline.com summer polling

If I can’t find a pre-2000 truck, I’ll look for another line or work 11%

I’ll retire or look for another line of work 26%

Other 4%I do or will run short haul to avoid using an ELD 8%

I’ll run with an ELD when the time comes 23%

Nothing will change – I run a pre-2000 model-year truck and will continue doing so 13%

Nothing will change – already running e-logs 15%

August 2017 | Overdrive | 37

The percentage of owner-operators noting an intent to leave the industry fell precipitously but remained at 26 percent as recently as June in Overdrive polling. If you include those who say they intend to leave the industry if they can’t find a suitable pre-2000 model-year truck to avoid using ELDs, it rises to 37 percent.

If a fourth of owner-operators quit, it could amount to as many as approxi-mately 60,000 trucks sidelined. That’s based on an owner-operator population of 240,000, the most recent for-hire owner-operator population estimates Overdrive’s made.

RigDig Business Intelligence, a service affiliated with Overdrive, estimates the for-hire operating Class 8 truck population at around 1.2 million. So if that quarter of owner-operators does indeed quit at year-end, trucking could be down 5 percent of capacity just from businesses shuttering and owner-operators retiring, to say nothing of the impact of lower productivity.

That’s principally why White sees a big opportunity for rate growth. “I do think some companies will shut down, whether they don’t want to comply or won’t be able to comply,” he says.

After a seasonally slow start, rates have strengthened in a fairly typical pat-tern this year, but better than the last couple of years. DAT reports spring linehaul averages not seen since 2014, making it a good year for truckers on the spot market. Truckstop.com’s national load-to-truck ratio has been above the 12 loads per truck Amen feels is the equilibrium point.

All that may well be true for spot averages, but as Harper notes, it takes a sustained period of growth or decline in the spot market before the contract market adjusts accordingly. White hasn’t seen contracts changing substantially in his automotive-related contract dry freight.

“If you go try to get a rate increase right now, you’ll get a polite ‘no,’ and someone else will get your freight,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s people going

out and trying to get all they can before they get out of the business or just natu-ral competition, but I see that down-ward pressure now.”

With spot improvements in May and June, White is hopeful for sustained

improvement soon and beyond with ELDs, combined with economic condi-tions.

“If you can stand it for the next six to eight months, there could be some reward on the other side,” he says.

32 | Overdrive | September 2017

The University of Michigan made news in August 2016 when researchers at a con-ference presented results

from their experiments with the vulner-ability of big rigs’ electronic systems. As reported in Wired magazine ahead of the conference, researchers plugged into a 2006 tractor’s OBD II port and largely commandeered the truck’s internal net-work. In this hack simulation, researchers “were able to do everything from change the readout of the truck’s instrument panel, trigger unintended acceleration, or to even disable one form of the semi-trailer’s brakes.”

The experiment followed previous high-profile researcher hacks of con-sumer vehicles, exploiting vulnerabilities in the cars’ over-the-air-connected info-tainment systems. Researchers were able to disable acceleration, brakes and more in a Jeep Cherokee.

These incidents have sparked continu-

ing discussions inside and outside the trucking community. They are part of a growing concern over vulnerabilities in “internet of things” (IoT) devices. These are not only phones and computers, but also modern home appliances, vehicles and the like that open connections to the Internet.

The impending Dec. 18 electronic log-ging device mandate puts more focus on potential hacking in trucking. Most ELDs open up a connection to the cellular data network, whether directly or through paired smartphones or tablets. (The notable exception is the base version of the Continental VDO RoadLog.)

ELD makers partially downplay the threat. They say their devices aren’t set up to write to the engine’s electronic control module – only to receive and transmit data from it and that they have various security measures in place. Nevertheless, scanning for vulnerabilities in IoT devices has been on the rise in

recent years as hackers look for ways to turn problems into opportunity. Much more hacking is expected, possibly via ELDs.

“As the number and kinds of con-nected devices multiply, so have the secu-rity risks,” AT&T said in a press release that announced a new IoT Cybersecurity Alliance this year. IBM, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec and Trustonic also are part of the alliance. AT&T said it’s seen a 30-fold “increase in attackers scan-ning for vulnerabilities in IoT devices.”

More ELD system designers also are taking security into account. “I think we’re at an inflection point in the indus-try,” says Sharon Reynolds, Omnitracs’ chief information security officer. Guarding against vulnerabilities should be even more of a chief concern for everyone in the industry, Reynolds says.

Owner-operator Chris Guenther knows what it feels like to lose some con-trol over a truck’s electronics. Last sum-

With hundreds of thousands of big rigs about to tack on internet-connected ELDs, some people see a major security threat. BY TODD DILLS

THE

SHIFT

THE

SHIFTSECURITY

Hacking trucks

September 2017 | Overdrive | 33

mer, he was fresh out of the shop with his 2012 Kenworth T700 powered by a Cummins ISX. Going across Southern Ohio toward Erie, Pennsylvania, his Omnitracs MCP50 onboard unit began switching log statuses erratically and flickering on and off.

“My dashboard started popping all kinds of engine and re-gen codes,” Guenther says. “The truck then de-rated” slightly, but he was many miles away from a good place to get service or even pull off.

Guenther called the shop that had just worked on the truck and was referred to Omnitracs, where a tech-support repre-sentative recommended a forced reboot. “He told me, ‘It’s going to shut down and reboot five times in a row,’ ” with about 10 seconds between each reboot, he says. “I’m still going 60 mph trying to keep it going. So he does that, and when the MCP50 shut down, so did my engine. It did that five times.”

The representative, when told what was happening, said, “This doesn’t nor-mally happen.”

“We don’t have another documented case like this,” says Scott Hildebrandt, Omnitracs’ vice president of support and customer experience, who reviewed Guenther’s experience. “We definitely see the unit reset and see the unit come back up, but we can’t prove or disprove anything that happened out there.”

Guenther says moisture could have

caused his problems. “I’ve got an issue with water getting into my harness plug [on occasion] that kicks off a slew of dif-ferent codes.”

Asked about Guenther’s case, Cory Hunt of Pivot Technology Resources, a remanufacturer and reseller of used ELDs, says he’s heard of similar cases. “When you’re tying into the data con-nectors and some of the wiring in these trucks, they’re all integrated into the functionality of the trucks themselves,” Hunt says. “I’ve seen it where the onboard unit won’t even let the truck shut off,” even with the ignition key removed. In such cases, the truck won’t power down without powering down the onboard communications device.

“I’ve seen some really crazy things over the last 17 years,” he says. “They’re funny to hear,” but scary if you’re the victim. While such instances are rare, they sug-

gest that ensuring the integrity of your truck’s electronic system will be doubly important when plugging in any IoT device, including an ELD, Hunt says.

A company such as Omnitracs has a large security staff, Reynolds says – like-wise the capability of over-the-air software updates, enabling quick protection against malware and hackers. “When you select the IoT device, make sure it was engi-neered with security in mind,” she says.

ELD suppliers say the probability of hacking into electronic logs — either the current automatic onboard record-ing device standard (Code of Federal Regulations 395.15) or the new ELD standard (CFR 395.16) — to access the controller area network (CAN) bus of vehicles is virtually impossible, as ELDs are provisioned only to read data.

“We don’t give (our application) rights to be able to write or make requests,” says Marco Encinas, marketing and product manager for Teletrac Navman, which offers the Director ELD. “All we do is read. There is no protocol in the system that allows us to engage, change code for or manipulate the ECM com-puter on the vehicle.”

Encinas says he’s seen glitches like those experienced by Guenther. “The dashboard starts lighting up” and indi-cating fault codes and the like, he says, but things return to normal when the onboard unit is unplugged. He says it’s a result of an “incompatibility between the protocol we’re reading and the pro-tocol the vehicle is broadcasting.”

In the case of a newer vehicle, it could be the vehicle manufacturer “changed a

To access a Geotab-produced white paper on IoT device security in vehicles, search “Preserving Privacy and Security in the Connected Vehicle” at Geotab.com.

No ELD on the market is foolproof. If any hardware, software or connection malfunction – or possibly a hacker – impedes the ELD’s operation, FMCSA’s 395.16 rule requires that the device report the error to both the driver and fleet management to trigger support activities.

Navistar’s OnCommand Connection telematics device continuously monitors the truck’s health status, which includes electronics, Andrew Dondlinger says. “In the event of a detected malfunction on the truck, OnCommand Connection will provide the customer – and Navistar as

well – with a health report highlighting the faults on the truck, along with a fault code action plan,” Dondlinger says.

Similarly, if a malfunction is detected by Teletrac Navman’s Director ELD ap-plication, the device continues to record any vehicle data that it can, as well as the driver’s duty status. The driver is alerted by a fault message indicator, and fleet management is alerted through the web portal to notify dispatchers.

Teletrac Navman’s support team can do an over-the-air reset if needed, Marco Encinas says.

– Aaron Huff

HOW ELDS TYPICALLY REPORT MALFUNCTIONS

How concerned are you about cybersecurity with respect to electronic logging devices?

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Very concerned 56%

Unsure 6%

Not concerned 24%

A little concerned 14%

34 | Overdrive | September 2017

HACKING TRUCKS

pin on the plug” so that it’s function was also changed.

As an extra layer of precaution, PeopleNet has embedded chips in its ELD devices to verify a secure connection.

“Our latest devices will all ship with an encryption chip built in to authenti-cate the device to the cloud in addition to standard authentication of the driver’s credentials upon login,” says Eric Witty,

the company’s vice president of product. “That way, we have assurance that both the device and the person are authenti-cated in our system.”

Through PeopleNet’s partnerships with truck makers, “we continue to undergo security audits and improve-ments to our software and hardware solutions to ensure we minimize any risk of these telemetry devices being exploit-ed to access the vehicle,” Witty adds.

Encinas says that perhaps the biggest risk for an owner-operator may be the physical connection to the ECM itself. While a sophisticated hacker “could find a way to generate that protocol to write into a vehicle’s ECM, to go through our device would be extremely hard. If someone wanted to do it, most likely they’d unplug it and insert their own hardware directly.”

Regarding his incident, Guenther says, his customer support representative speculated an over-the-air update didn’t go through to his unit because of a solar storm happening at the time the update was transmitting. Missing the update possibly contributed to the problems.

Guenther says his unit ran fine for months following the incident, but questions still bothered him. If the Omnitracs representative could control the unit from afar, who else could do the same? He takes that further, noting that if fault codes are being thrown by the ECM, “What’s to say that’s not some-body hacking the system and telling it that something’s wrong? It scares the hell out of me – a huge Pandora’s Box.”

To date, there’s no public evidence that a truck has been hacked maliciously. The University of Michigan researchers, plugged into the truck, were far from simulating a more difficult remote hack through an ELD or other access point.

But, says Omnitracs’ Reynolds, Guenther is asking the right questions. All industry parties need to cooperate to “continue to mitigate those risks,” she says. “We all have a hand in this game.”

– Aaron Huff contributed to this report.

CYBERSECURITY: TIPS FOR GREATER PEACE OF MINDThe National Motor Freight Traffic Associa-tion last year issued an advisory to carriers with in-truck systems connected to outside networks, whether the internet, the cellular network or satellite tracking. The bulletin noted “there are a number of steps to take to reduce the risk” of a security breach. Anyone plugging a device into the on-board diagnostics port, particularly an ELD that will open up a connection between the truck’s computer and the internet, would do well to:

• Make certain vendors take security seriously. This should include having a security team in place to push out timely security updates to the device to prevent malware and guard against other infiltra-tion.

• Disable or remove features that en-able remote access to a third party, such as remote diagnostics services, if you’re not using them.

• Maintain consistent communication with vendors, including providers of ELDs/telematics, “to ensure that you are notified of any critical security issues or updates to

your equipment and service.”• Check regularly for updates, whether

your device is internet-connected or com-municates locally only. Include updates to system software within 30 days of release, including those from truck manufacturers.

• Make cybersecurity protocols a standard part of your pre-trip inspections to catch any physical threat, such as from “foreign devices mounted to accessible parts of the vehicle that can connect to the” engine’s computer – “an easy way to prevent onboard access” from an unknown party, perhaps the biggest threat today for owner-operators.

• Be cautious about modifying the en-gine’s computer. About third-party devices, “make sure that any modifications or addi-tions to your vehicle … do not compromise the security of your vehicle or bridge networks which have been separated” by the manufacturer.

Search NMFTA at OverdriveOnline.com to find a link to the full security bulletin, or visit NMFTA.org.

– Todd Dills

Smartphone

Remotelink typeapp

AirbagECU

USB Bluetooth Dedicated short-range communications-based receiver

Passive keylessentry

Remote key

Tire pressure monitoring system

Advanced driver assist system ECU

Lighting system ECU(interior and exterior)

Engine andtransmissionECU

Steering andbraking ECU

Vehicle accesssystem ECU

Onboard diagnostics II

POTENTIAL HACKING GATEWAYS. This diagram, presented at a NAFA Fleet Management Association’s 2016 meeting, illustrates the variety of automobile entry points that present opportunities to malicious programmers. The federal requirement to use an ELD will add a major entry point to thousands of heavy-duty trucks at yearend.

34 | Overdrive | October 2017

As efforts to derail the electronic logging device mandate continue

to fail, more owner-operators and small fleet owners are considering their options. With the mandate’s Dec. 18 enforcement date only two months away, software and hardware providers old and

new are trying to set them-selves apart.

For the owner-operator who’s certain to be part of the industry for a long time and who wants simplicity at a low price, the devices available without a monthly subscrip-tion fee can be a good match.

As of press time, five pro-viders offered either a dedi-

cated-unit or BYOD (bring your own device) ELD for a onetime purchase price. For the four BYOD devices here, freeware installed on a phone or tablet supports the engine plug-in for full in-cab and/or back-office functionality. For the one dedicated unit provider, Continental’s VDO RoadLog is supported via

laptop software and a USB-based data transfer device for updates.

Prices overall have contin-ued to fall. What might be the most affordable device, One20’s provocatively named F-ELD, is available for $170 and even less for owner-oper-ators eligible for discounts.

If results of a 2016 Comdata survey are any indi-cation, the F-ELD and other generally low-cost ELDs are about to see a surge in orders. Cost was identified as the top selection criteria of a third of all respondents.

Cost was a factor for Utah-based Wade Spencer, owner-operator of a four-truck fleet of Freightliner Cascadias outfitted with Blue Ink Technology’s BIT ELD. The BIT electronic control mod-ule plug-in device is available for $295, ordered directly through the company’s website. Free smartphone/tablet apps available for both Android and iOS devices pro-vide the driver interface.

For his reefer fleet, Spencer invested in four BITs for his own 2015 Cascadia, the truck of his Utah-based partner-owner and two operated by drivers in Ohio. To serve the company’s principal shipper account, Spencer and the partner load out of Utah and meet the company’s other two Ohio-based drivers in Morris, Illinois, to swap loaded reefers with the oth-ers’ empties.

Adding ELDs was just another expense to be minimized. Spencer says his biggest issue with another BYOD ELD product he tried, BigRoad, was its monthly fee. BigRoad charges $25 per truck for full ELD service.

In the crowded ELD market, a few companies set themselves apart with systems requiring no monthly fee. BY TODD DILLS

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The right price

Longtime GPS device maker Garmin recently became just the fifth ELD provider out of more than 50 to offer a device that’s operable without a direct ongoing monthly service fee. Garmin’s eLog device, shown in the hand in this picture of a demo unit, retails for $250 and can pair with Android- and iOS-powered devices, as well as devices in Garmin’s dezl line of GPS navigation devices.

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THE RIGHT PRICE

With BIT, he’s eliminated those fees and also mitigated an issue he saw with BigRoad and BYOD ELD competitor KeepTruckin. “They don’t leave things simple” when it comes to the driver’s naviga-tion upon making changes, in Spencer’s view. “My partner’s 72 years old, almost done [trucking]. I’m 47. One of our [Ohio] drivers is 58 or 59, one is 68. I’ve got older drivers who can’t stand change and technology.”

With brothers Mike and Chris Riegel of Blue Ink, Spencer believes he’s found a company committed to simplicity.

“I said, ‘If you’re going to make changes, leave the old version, or have the option to leave the screens as they sit. I cannot deal with lots of changes with these guys who just don’t want to deal with technology.’ ” Spencer pro-posed a fix, and they accom-modated that and other sug-gestions, he says.

All of the companies fea-tured in the chart on page 36

Blue Ink Technology

BIT ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$295

IFTA, fault code reading, maintenance features avail-able

Yes

Order through company website; ships in as few as two days

BlueInkTech.com

Continental

VDO RoadLog

Dedicated unit

$700, or $0 with lease

Built-in printer, real-time data transfer, fuel use, engine diagnos-tics, driver scorecard, integrated dispatch

Yes

Major truck dealers and aftermarket parts suppliers stock the unit; see website for online ordering

VDORoadLog.com

Garmin eLog

Garmin eLog

BYOD | An-droid, iOS (also compatible with dezl GPS navigators)

$250

IFTA, local transfer of logs via USB/Bluetooth during inspections, in-device storage, quick-glance compliance

No

Available via most major electron-ics and other retailers serviced by Garmin distributors

Garmin.com

One20

F-ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$170

Base func-tionality for logs and DVIR, roadside mode password-protected

Yes

Order via the company website or a network of retailers, in-cluding major truck stops

One20.com/ELD

Zed Connect

Zed ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$200

Routemanagement, fleet dashboard

Yes

Order via the website, or purchase at locations affiliated with Cummins of Pana-Pacific

Zed-ELD.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?

Availability

Find more info

ELDs with no monthly fees

Each of these providers offers ELD software and hardware for a one-time fee with no follow-on monthly costs. All come with a standard one-year warranty. For the BYOD devices, a caveat is the need for cellular services on the phone or tablet paired with the ECM plug-in device. Garmin reported its FMCSA ELD registry certification was in process at press time.

Carriers’ most important ELD selection criteria

Lowest cost 33%Compliance certification 22%ELD type (mobile v. hardware) 20%Pricing model (buy v. lease) 10%Automated IFTA reporting 15%

33%

22%20%

10%

15%

More carriers cite low cost over any other factor in choosing an ELD.

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October 2017 | Overdrive | 37

one degree or another sing the same tune, offering low costs and simplicity to appeal to the owner-operator/small fleet market.

Zed, whose Zed Connect ELD is its first product, was launched by Cummins as a separate but affiliated com-pany to provide technology features to fleets. “There are a lot of truckers out there who don’t want to have that monthly fee and the charges for a lot of things that aren’t applicable to their business,” said Jill Nowlin, sales director.

One20’s marketing of the F-ELD, as suggested by the name, is targeted directly to those who see the mandated shift to e-logs as little more than a nuisance or worse. The driver-oriented com-pany’s principal smartphone app attempts to harness the buying power of groups to deliver discounts on services and products on the road.

Continental has long spo-ken of its noncellular base

model VDO RoadLog as an owner-operator-focused device. Sales manager Jeff

Waterstreet notes ongoing confidence in that pitch, though the RoadLog is the

most expensive among devic-es without monthly fees.

VDO is maybe the only

Most any BYOD-type ELD with dedicated tablets will come with monthly costs for a data plan. In the case of Wade Spencer’s four-truck fleet, running the BIT ELD from Blue Ink Technology, the ECM plug-in devices are paired with dedicated $10 LG tablets. These come with their own fees for cellular service, necessary for the ELD to work properly.

In Spencer’s case, that amounts to about $20 a month per tablet on his un-limited data plan. If he tried, he says, he could negotiate that cost down, given the BIT ELD uses only about 200 megabytes per month.

If you’re pairing BIT or another BYOD with a smartphone or tablet you already have with a service plan, such cost wouldn’t necessarily figure into your

back-of-the-envelope return-on-investment calculation. Also keep that 200-MB data figure in mind when considering lump-ing ELD service into a pre-existing data plan. It’s probably a good estimate, unless perhaps the device is collecting/commu-nicating position data more frequently for IFTA purposes.

Spencer says BIT estimates a 700-MB monthly figure per ELD with its add-on IFTA featured enabled. Other companies have estimated a good deal less than both figures.

Cellular services can be limited to particular functions with most cellular providers. As other fleets have done, Spencer locks down the LG tablets to just a few functions (BIT, the company web-site and email, CoPilot truck navigation).

For functions such as Netflix viewing during downtime, drivers can use a WiFi connection.

CELLULAR SERVICE CAN ADD MONTHLY FEES TO ELD

The Zed ELD’s U.S.-based support team is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, says sales director Jill Nowlin. “Drivers have the ability to contact support straight from their [Zed] mobile app, direct calls or through the Fleet Management portal as well. They can also email through phone, app and the website.” Nowlin also expressed confidence, as did other sup-pliers featured in this story, in the com-pany’s ability to replace a malfunctioning ELD unit in eight days or less, as the ELD final rule stipulates carriers must do.

Funny marketing or over the line? In the truck parking lot at the Great American Trucking Show this past August, this trailer promoting the One20 F-ELD was an active topic of discussion among drivers gathered. The One20 F-ELD is the least expensive ELD on the market today: a $170 onetime purchase. One of those drivers talking at GATS, who sent in this picture, asked a question about something that, for him, raised professional-image hackles. “Is this good marketing or just over the line?” he asked. He concluded it’s the latter. “I’m proud to be a professional driver of the old-school traditions. A vendor thinking that this is how to market to me was insulting.” A poll of Overdrive’s audience shows that more readers than not agreed with him – though sentiment was split pretty closely with those like small-fleet owner Monte Wiederhold, who noted the ad “echoes my sentiments perfectly! The middle finger is just what I think of the ELD mandate.”

The web-based administration back end of Blue Ink Technology’s ELD system is four-truck-fleet owner-operator Wade Spencer’s portal into his company’s hours of service records. Blue Ink provides the portal free for all buyers of its BIT ELD and offers IFTA recording and other features for a price.


THE RIGHT PRICE

appliance-type device that’s out there specifically designed to record hours of service, Waterstreet says. Also given that it doesn’t open up a cel-lular connection to the inter-

net, Waterstreet believes it will appeal to an owner-oper-ator/small fleet interested in covering the need for an ELD with a device dedicated to logging and little else.

The company’s positioned to service its user base in the event of malfunctions, given

a distribution network that includes most major truck dealers. Hotshot owner-oper-ator Buster Lewis, based near Charlotte, North Carolina, runs with the VDO RoadLog and lauds Continental’s tech-nical support. “This company has treated me like I have a

fleet of trucks,” Lewis says. The RoadLog comes with

a built-in printer and a one-year warranty, which the company honored twice for Lewis after early iterations of the product gave him trouble.

Yet another trucking house-hold name has gotten into this market, turning heads earlier in the year when it announced intentions to market a no-monthly-fee ELD product. Garmin’s eLog ECM plug-in ($250) is operable with BYOD Android and iOS devices and also is compatible with the company’s dezl line of truck-specific GPS navigators. Says Tim Farrell, national accounts sales manager, “We saw a need for one that was not going to require a subscription and major installation pro-cesses with third parties being involved.”

The Garmin eLog plugs into the diagnostics port and has a built-in nine-pin con-nector.

“We also include a six-pin adapter,” enabling it to cover the majority of commercial trucks, Farrell says, though Mack/Volvo is a bit different. “No subscription is a huge benefit,” he says.

Farrell also sees his compa-ny’s pricing model as covering a hole in the ELD market, one that’s going to give all of them a leg up in the mad dash to adopt as Dec. 18 approaches.

“We’ve definitely tried to make sure we’ve got things set up with our distributor partners and key retailers that will be carrying it,” Farrell says. “It’s a sort of onetime thing. It’s a push all at once, and it may be a consistent sales volume after that.”

INNOVATIVE PRICING AS COMPETITION HEATS UP BigRoad Smartphone logging app and ELD provider BigRoad offered an incentive to users and others in its efforts to make a bigger splash among owner-operators with its DashLink ELD: Join its network of referrers, and get $75 for each tracked referral. The referral program’s not limited to current BigRoad DashLink subscribers; the company says it’s open to the public. For owner-operators, the company views it as one way to potentially “offset the financial burden of electronic logging devices.” For rewards to be delivered, the referred cus-tomer must sign up for a one-year contract, paid upfront. BigRoad’s DashLink product is available for no initial hardware cost, with subscription fees at $19.50 monthly for one- to two-truck owner-operators, a three-month-free promotion also offsetting costs.

Magellan Longtime GPS provider Magellan’s new ELD software is capable of operating in a BYOD configuration with select Samsung tablets and smartphones. The company also is offering an ELD bundle, including the first three years of service, for an MSRP of $849. The companies pitch the Magellan/Samsung partnership as a way to separate work and play on Samsung’s marquee TAB-E tablet. Drivers can use the device in both ways, with sophisticated truck-specific navigation easily toggled to the hours of service software module, with access to online streaming, games and more via the tablet’s consumer-focused features. The ELD bundle in-cludes a ruggedized mounting device, the Samsung tablet, ECM connector and more. After the first three years, owners can choose to renew annually or on longer terms at a price comparable to what other ELDs are offering, between $15-$25 monthly.

KeepTruckin For carriers contracted with the TQL broker-age, the KeepTruckin BYOD-type ELD offered a 20 percent discount on the $20 monthly fee associated with its product. Carriers contracted with TQL, the No. 2 largest truckload brokerage in the nation, are eligible to take advantage of the discount for a $16/month rate (no startup costs) on the KeepTruckin service. KeepTruckin’s basic smartphone-based log book has long been among the two most popular with drivers (BigRoad is the other).

The Magellan ELD’s marriage between sophisticated navi-gation and its electronic log book allows for one-touch toggling between the two.

Continental’s VDO RoadLog is the only dedicated ELD with a built-in printer for log checks, which sales manager Jeff Waterstreet believes roadside enforcement is going to like as states continue to transition to electronic ELD data transfer. At press time, FMCSA continued to work on building out infrastructure for that, and most states had yet to be close to implementing it.

1 Choosing a unit for your operation

2 Mid-game engine ruling creates winners, losers

6 Prices and specs on 64 ELDs

21 Highlighted products

22 Logging duty status, making edits

Since we published the previous version of this guide in the April Overdrive, electronic logging device options

have continued to proliferate. That’s evident in our best attempt at a comprehensive collection in the quick-comparison chart that begins on page 6.

There are now dozens more options from vendors offering a variety of hardware and software to owner-operators and fleets. Many of them are new to trucking.

Weighing options for complying with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ELD mandate that takes effect Dec. 18 won’t exactly be an easy pill for anti-mandate partisans. But it might be a little easier to swallow

when seeing that whatever your needs, there’s a vendor offering it, many of them at a surprisingly reasonable price point.

Since April, new players have emerged that sell hardware and offer ELD functionality without the monthly fee. A relatively new one, Switchboard Mobile, did not come to Overdrive’s attention in time to be included in the charts that follow, but its pricing model fits what is typical for such devic-es, a flat $250 for the electronic

control module plug-in device. Android software for the user interface is free. Most devices take the opposite approach to pricing. They lock users into monthly sub-scription fees, typically assessed on a per-power-unit basis.

As new players in the ELD market continue to emerge, we’ll be updating a version of the page 6 chart that you can find online at OverdriveOnline.com/2015ELDChart.

Exemptions from the man-date are few. Some changes to the most significant exemption, for trucks running pre-2000 engines, are explored on page 2. Otherwise, you’re exempt only if you don’t run beyond the short-haul air-mile radius for more than eight days in any rolling 30-day period.

Many choices, some at low cost, for meeting mandate

ELD BUYERS’ GUIDEELD BUYERS’ GUIDE

There are now dozens more options

from vendors offering a variety of hardware and

software to owner-operators and fleets.

November 2017 | ELD BUYERS’ GUIDE | 1

If you’re an independent owner-operator with only one truck, you’re likely to gravitate to a baseline-compliance electronic

logging device without a lot of the bells and whistles that are available in fleet-management-focused systems.

Still, you can benefit from some addi-tional functions such as IFTA data col-lection, making mileage tracking more automated and easily reportable. If you manage more than one truck or are poised for growth, simplified dispatch tools in some programs might help you scale your operation.

As you’re making your decision, query any vendor about these issues:

SUPPORT. The final rule specifies an eight-day timeframe for repairing/replacing a malfunctioning ELD. Does the provider stock the kind of hardware inventory to meet such a quick turn-around? How are replacements/repairs handled? Who’s responsible for shipping charges?

For carriers needing more than eight days to replace any ELD, the rule also

spelled out a process for requesting more time. It involves contacting your state’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration division office and mak-ing your case.

FMCSA REGISTRY. The ELD rule requires using an ELD self-certified by the manufacturer as meeting the rule’s

specs and listed on FMCSA’s ELD registry. Since our April guide, most makers old and new to the market have certified. For any that haven’t, ask about their plans for certification before invest-ing in their product. If they don’t have a plan, be skeptical of the ability to use the device beyond the end of 2019.

To postpone ELD compliance for two years, you could instead invest in current-generation Automatic Onboard Recording Devices (AOBRDs). These meet the fairly minimal requirements (compared to the ELD specs) of CFR 395.15, which are grandfathered through Dec. 16, 2019.

Some providers, Gorilla Safety among them, offer the option to run a device in AOBRD mode, which grants company back-office staff the ability to edit logs without driver approval. Also, that mode doesn’t support the electronic data transfer options required of ELDs, among other differences.

To use an AOBRD through 2019, you must install the device prior to the ELD enforcement deadline of Dec. 18, 2017.

ELD SPECS: USING THE BUYERS’ GUIDE CHART

In addition to logging, the electronic logging devices listed in the chart on page 6 allow for electronic driver vehicle inspection reports. Most include options for messaging and back-office unit tracking. Ancillary features listed are not comprehensive in most cases.

Some features may require further investment in services and/or hardware. Many systems include features enabled by the connection to the engine’s electronic control module, including the capability of integration with a variety of transportation management software systems.

Unless otherwise noted, costs in this chart apply to a one-truck operator independent of a larger fleet, buying aftermarket. Volume discounts often apply. Many providers offer lease options for hardware with prices bundled into service packages.

Some systems are “bring your own device” (BYOD) products, where smart-phone or tablet software is paired with a device that connects to the ECM. For such systems, associated costs exclude the cost of the mobile device unless otherwise noted. Associated data plan charges also are not included.

Choosing a unit for your operation

Among ELD-capable systems with unique extra utility for small fleet owners is iGlobal’s Edge MDT module with a built-in scanning device and a cellular mic that functions like a CB in a private network among a fleet’s users equipped with the device.

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Owner-operator Randy Carlson of Minnesota was late to hear the news of the Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Administration’s policy reversal of sorts regarding the pre-2000 exemption to the electronic logging device mandate.

When a talk with Overdrive informed him of a significant change made in July – that enforcement would look at the engine year rather than the truck chassis model year – Carlson said it “sounds like it’s a good day for me.”

Carlson’s 2001 Freightliner Classic chassis is powered by an older, fully mechanical Caterpillar. With the pre-2000 model-year exemption tied exclu-sively to the model year of the truck, he’d have been required to invest in an ELD workaround to keep that truck in compliance or back-fit his finely tuned mechanical engine within a pre-2000 cab/chassis to keep running it legally after the mandate.

Even with his good fortune, there’s been a cost for Carlson. It comes from the indecision the agency has shown on the exemption, particularly with this recent move after so long – a full year and a half – holding that the truck’s model year would determine the exemption.

In spring this year, Carlson located a 1996 Freightliner powered by a same-year Detroit Series 60. He paid $4,500 for it, then more to get it in shape.

“I was going to maybe drive that one,” he adds, in the interim until he could find a pre-2000 cab/title to go with his mechanical Caterpillar engine. “I’m probably not going to do that now” in spite of the near $7,000 investment he’s made in the 1996 unit.

He can rest a little easier, he says, but not so anyone out there who “had a 1999 truck who bought a 2003-’04” engine to put in, Carlson says.

The FMCSA website’s FAQs (fre-quently asked questions) note that drivers are not required to carry documentation in the truck that confirms the engine’s model year, but notes that federal regula-tions require motor carriers to keep all documentation on engine changes “at the principal place of business.”

Mid-game engine ruling creates winners, losers

Owner-operator Dave Marti’s 2015 Peterbilt 389 is ELD-exempt by virtue of its engine, whose original in-ser-vice date is on file with Detroit Diesel as Dec. 28, 1999, three days ahead of the exemption cutoff. Fitzgerald typically attaches the engine serial number (right) to the block, while Detroit’s reman plate (left) displays the vehicle VIN, reman serial and remanufacture date.

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MID-GAME ENGINE RULING

Nevertheless, to avoid undue lingering red tape with law enforcement, owner-operators qualifying for the exemption by virtue of engine model year would do well to carry such documentation if it’s not visibly, clearly stamped on the engine. That’s the situation for Carlson, who says he’s likely to get a printout from Caterpillar to carry, especially con-sidering his truck is a 2001 model.

Other anti-ELD mandate owner-operators among Overdrive’s audience were sitting similarly pretty after the midsummer announcement of the change. The multitudes of owners who’d bought trucks from Fitzgerald Glider Kits or another maker in the last several years stood a good chance of now being exempt from the mandate as well.

That is no small number of trucks. Reporting in 2016 in Overdrive showed glider production had ballooned from around 1,000 units in 2007 to more than 10,000 in 2015. However, it wasn’t long after the announced exemption change that Overdrive began hearing reports of owners having trouble getting the appro-priate year documentation.

Mike Crenshaw, a representative

at a Western Star dealer, told of a customer who’d bought a glider built elsewhere and simply could not deter-mine from the builder the original serial number, which would enable easy lookup of the manufacture date.

Fitzgerald parts representative James Hawn, however, said his company hadn’t run into similar snags. He said last month he’d been getting calls daily for some time about this issue, particularly when the original serial number on a factory-reman engine wasn’t obvious to the owner.

But with the vehicle VIN in hand, he said it’s an easy lookup process for his company, particularly on trucks built in the last several years by the maker.

A Nashville, Tennessee-based service rep for authorized Detroit distribu-tor Clarke Power Services also noted in October he’d put in many a call on behalf of glider owners to Fitzgerald himself, looking for an engine serial number. “I help people every day” with this issue, he says.

“When Fitzgerald builds the truck, they attach a tag for a readable serial number. They can also just call me with that, and there’s no issue at all. I print

out the basic sheet on the motor and show the in-service date and just scan it and shoot it over to them.”

Then, they’ve got the documentation they need to prove they’re exempt from the ELD mandate.

For others, it’s not been so easy. Emissions rules require engine makers to re-serial the block of any remanned engine not built expressly to replace another already-running engine. In that process, original serial records are virtually destroyed, and reman serial numbers issued show only the date of remanufacture.

For owners of such situated engines, given an unknown original in-service date for the block, the safe play may be to run ELDs if the reman date shows year 2000 or later. If you’re willing to roll the dice to avoid them and believe you have appropriate documentation other than the serial number/build sheet to prove the particular original model year of the block, know that in situations where engine year is not clear, FMCSA is instructing roadside to kick those cases back to the agency for further investiga-tion.

SOME PRE-2000 TRUCK PRICING REFLECTS EXEMPTION DEMANDSince the December 2016 issue of Overdrive, when we last examined data from TopBid.com’s survey of auction prices for truck-tractors around the nation, pre-2000 trucks have shown occasional spikes in sales prices there on average.

Used Truck Association President Craig Kendall, also specialty markets manager with the Pete Store dealer network, says he’s heard stories of older models fetch-ing higher prices than you might expect otherwise, given their exemption from the electronic logging device mandate.

“But it’s a small sample size. We’re not taking many in on trades and not selling many in retail” at the Pete Store, he adds.

Looking at 1995-’99 model-year trucks’ average auction prices before and after the mandate and its exemptions announce-ment, monthly averages have shown much wider swings in recent months as

the mandate approaches, anywhere from around $7,000 to nearly $15,000 at a July 2017 high, nearly matching recent aver-age prices for 2000-’04 models in many

months.It all points to generally more valuable

equipment, probably in some measure a result of the ELD mandate’s exemption.

Todd

Dill

s

Pennsylvania-based Landis & Sons owner-operator Mike Landis retired a 1988 Peterbilt cabover this year in favor of this 1999 Peterbilt 362, after he pur-chased the unit from a retired owner-operator who’d ordered it new. Landis feels the $17,500 he paid was a good price, considering its engine was an all-but-brand-new factory-reman 1999 Detroit Series 60 and exempt from the ELD mandate. The rig is pictured here near the White House, where Landis participated in protests against the mandate.

Apollo Solutions

Apollo

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease, $75 to purchase ECM link


IFTA, AOBRD/ELD operating modes, signa-ture capture, proactive notifications, back-office integration, Canada/Cali-fornia/oilfield support

Yes

AssuredTrack-ing.com

ATS Fleet Management Solutions

ELD ABW w/ ATS e-Track Certified

BYOD | Android

$99 (includes first month of service) or $199 (includes first year)

Monthly: $15

IFTA, optional close support software; ELD ABW otherwise is a baseline compliance device, and ATS provides e-Track Certi-fied software that powers it

Yes

ELD.ABW.com

BigRoad

DashLink ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease, option to bring own engine-connec-tion hardware

Monthly: $15 per user, $10 per truck; $15.60 per user/truck for first 15 months for 1-2-truck O-Os

Document capture and sharing, en-gine diagnos-tics, back-of-fice dispatch geared to small fleets

Yes

BigRoad.com

A1 ELD

A1 ELD

BYOD | Android | or dedicated unit

$69 BYOD, $195 dedicated


IFTA, truck routing, navigation, dispatch

Yes (powered by HOS247)

A1ELD.com

Blue Ink Technology

BIT ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$295

$0

IFTA, fault code reading, maintenance features available

Yes

BlueInkTech.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Blue Tree Systems

BT500

BYOD | Android

$0 with lease/purchase over 3-5 years


Wi-Fi hotspot, driver scoring (in performance, safety and compliance), navigation, jobs workflow manage-ment, reefer temperature monitoring

Yes

BlueTreeSys-tems.com

AT&T Fleet Complete

AT&T Fleet Complete HOS


$0


Customizable for fleet management functions, dispatch-ing, engine diagnostics, geofencing, driver behav-ior reporting/management, more from Fleet Com-plete Store

Yes (powered by BigRoad)

ATT.FleetCom-plete.com

CarrierWeb

CarrierMate

Dedicated unit | two options, Win-CE (5700) and Android (7000) OS


Monthly: $31 and lower

Driver/truck performance and engine diagnostics/preventive maintenance reporting, in-cab scanning, navigation; road segment speeding available at additional cost

No

CarrierWeb.com

Cartasite

DriveTime

BYOD | Android, iOS | or paired with ruggedized tablet

$0 with lease, $600 approx-imately with dedicated tablet

Monthly: $15-$30

IFTA; work or-der dispatch-ing; option to pair with driver safety features, scorecards, GPS tracking, notifications and additional fleet manage-ment tools

Yes

Cartasite.com

Continental

VDO RoadLog

Dedicated unit

$700, or $0 with lease option

$0 for logs, DVIR, IFTA miles

Built-in ther-mal printer, real-time data transfer, fuel consumption, engine diag-nostics, driver scorecard, integrated dispatch for small fleets

Yes

VDORoadLog.com

Dispatching Solutions

DSI eLogs

Dedicated unit or BYOD | Android, iOS

$450-$700 depending on hardware, capabilities

Monthly: $20 for ELD, $40 for ELD and GPS

GPS tracking, transport and order manage-ment, smart forms, alerts, geofencing, IFTA, device events, more

Yes

DSIMobile.com

EclipseSoftware

RapidLog ELD-200

BYOD | Android mobile device or Windows laptop

$299

Monthly: $15-$35 depend-ing on option package

Special pric-ing for cur-rent log-audit customers, IFTA, route tracking, phone lock, three-tiered compliance warnings

No

RapidLog.com

DriverTech

DT4000 Rev 7

Dedicated unit

$799


Dashcam w/ critical event capture; nav-igation; inte-grations with some TMS, diagnostics and tire-infla-tion providers; smartphone app to link business processes to drivers

Yes

DriverTech.com

Coretex

Coretex Drive

Dedicated unit

$750


IFTA, driver behavior mon-itoring, EMS data, vehicle service man-ager, tracking, replay

Yes

Coretex.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


E-Log Plus

E-Log Plus

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon) or paired with ELP-branded Samsung tablet

$169 in BYOD configuration, higher withtablet

Monthly: $19

IFTA, maintenance alerts, oil-field-capable, auto-backup to cloud stor-age account, supports up to 6-driver slip seat

Yes

E-LogPlus.com

ELD Solutions

ELDS

BYOD | Android or paired with dedicated tablet

$0 with 3-year hard-ware lease

Monthly: $20 and higher for BYOD, $50 and higher for dedicated

IFTA, driver communica-tion, geofenc-ing, engine diagnostics, custom alerts, 100+ reports, third-party software integrations

Yes

ELDSolutions.com

GeoSpace Labs

HG100

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with one-year service commitment, otherwise $129

Monthly: $17

Maintenance resolution/tracking, paperless manifests and barcoding, dispatch, time-card functionality, route logging, signature capture, detention tracking/bill-ing, mapping

Yes

Geowiz.biz

ERoad

ERoad ELD

Dedicated unit

$0 with monthly plan


Electronic weight-mile tax, IFTA, IRP recordkeeping; driver behav-ior reporting/management; maintenance, fuel and other management functions; geofencing and retro-spective event tools; TMS integrations

Yes

ERoad.com

Forward Thinking Systems

Field Warrior

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon) | or paired with dedicated Garmin Fleet


Monthly: $10-$40 depending on device type

Geofencing, maintenance tracking, driv-er scorecards, IFTA, systems integration, truck-specific navigation, live-stream-ing cameras, signature/image capture, roadside assis-tance program, more

Yes

FTSGPS.com

FleetUp

FleetUp

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease


Patented fuel waste analy-sis, e-mainte-nance, engine diagnostics, IFTA, geofenc-ing, voice-over HOS, driving and vehicle alerts, complete trip history, full fleet management solution

Yes

FleetUp.com

Garmin International

Garmin eLog

BYOD | An-droid, iOS (also compatible with dezl GPS navigators)

$250

$0

IFTA, local transfer of logs via USB/Bluetooth during inspec-tions, in-device storage, quick-glance compliance

Yes

Garmin.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Geotab

Geotab Go

BYOD | Android, iOS

$170

Monthly: $20-$30 ap-proximately

IFTA data collection, engine diag-nostics, driver scorecards and coaching, safety/risk management functions, data integration for management, IOX expansion, more custom add-ons from Geotab Marketplace

Yes

Geotab.com

Gorilla Safety

Prime8 ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS | hard mount op-tions available

$175 to purchase, $7 monthly to lease

Monthly: $12-$24

Fleet manage-ment portal, user/vehicle list details, driver alerts, integrated AOBRD option, short haul and e-log settings available for blended fleets, various pack-ages available

Yes

GorillaSafety.com

Fleetmatics

Reveal Log-book ELD

BYOD | Android

$0

Monthly: $46

Work opti-mization, over-the-air updates, IFTA data collec-tion, engine diagnostics, route optimi-zation

Yes

Fleetmatics.com

GPS Insight

ELD 2000

Dedicated unit

$650 for ELD-2000 and GPS tracking device combo; rental, $150 set-up fee

Monthly: $35 and higher with ELD/GPS purchase; rental: $60

IFTA data col-lection, engine diagnostics, routing, hierar-chy functions for larger fleets, suite of tailored GPS tracking solutions

Yes

GPSInsight.com

Hutch

Mercury

Dedicated unit



IFTA, engine diagnostics, maintenance management, compliance systems, tire pressure/trail-er monitoring, signature capture, Canada/U.S. oilfield and utility service vehicle sup-port, more

Yes

HutchSystems.com

HOS 247

HOS 247 ELD & ELD Connect

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon) or ELD Connect dedi-cated unit

BYOD: $0 with one-year service commitment, otherwise $69 | Dedicated: $149-$218

Monthly: BYOD, $17-$23 | Dedicated, $31-$37

IFTA; compli-ance monitor-ing; document management; vehicle diagnostics; third-party access for shippers, brokers and accountants; custom integrations with dispatch, routing and load boards

Yes

HOS247.com

HOS Reporter

HOS Reporter-BT

BYOD | Android, iOS | or paired with dedicated tablet

$0

Monthly: $15 (two years prepaid) or $18 (one year)

IFTA data collection, AOBRD/ELD modes

Yes

HOS-Reporter.com

iGlobal

Edge MDT / Journey8 tablet

Dedicated units

$499 and up depending on configuration

Monthly: $25 and higher depending on options and configuration

Edge MDT features rug-gedized built-in scanner; Journey8 tab-let paired with a wireless dongle to the ECM (optional scanner); 8- and 10-inch screens, a la carte pricing for options, more

Yes

iGlobalLLC.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


J.J. Keller

Encompass

BYOD | Android, iOS | or paired with dedicated J.J. Keller Compli-ance Tablet

$0 with BYOD option

Monthly: $11 (less with multi-driver discounting)

Optional IFTA reporting, navigation, engine diag-nostics, driver qualification, drug and alcohol man-agement, acci-dent tracking, training, recordkeeping

Yes

JJKeller.com/ELogs

ISE Fleet Services

eFleetSuite

Dedicated unit


Monthly: $24

IFTA data collection, compliance, mapping, customizable

Yes

ISEFleetSer-vices.com

Gorilla Safety

Flex AOBRD

BYOD | Android, iOS | hard mount op-tions available

$0

Monthly: $10

AOBRD only, available to install only prior to Dec. 18 ELD deadline; fleet manage-ment portal, user/vehicle list details, driver alerts, short haul and e-log settings available for blended fleets

No

GorillaSafety.com

Load Logistics

Load Logistics TMS


$499 for adaptable engine relay


IFTA, dispatch/load functions, engine con-nection easily transferred from truck to truck, engine diagnostics, lane analysis, customizable for small fleet management

Yes

Load-Logis-tics.com

M2M in Motion

M2M018

BYOD | Android (iOS coming soon)

$0 with lease-pur-chase


IFTA, engine diagnostics, dashcam with critical-event capture and delivery, driver scoring, trailer tracking, mobile device management/lockdown capabilities, more

Yes

M2MinMotion.com

Koniexal

My20

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0

Monthly: $20 or $10 with three-year commitment

IFTA, simple installation, control tower, dashboards, fuel options, navigation/mapping, pat-ent-pending GoLoad truck-load freight matching

Yes

Konexial.com

Linxup

Linxup ELD

Dedicated tab-lets | Android, iOS options

$100 with contract, $250 without


AOBRD/ELD and reporting capabilities, IFTA, tracking/fleet manage-ment options

No

Linxup.com

Magellan

Magellan HOS Compliance

Dedicated unit | BYOD select Samsung devices

$849 for dedicated Ma-gellan bundle | BYOD varies

$0 while un-der contract for Magellan device | BYOD varies monthly with service bundle

IFTA, refined GPS, other functionality depending on configuration

Yes

MagellanGPS.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Mobile Warrior

iDDL

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease, $175

Monthly: $15-$30

IFTA, touch-free driver ELD gauge, dispatch/load functions, document capture, time card and expense tracking with integration to accounting, DVIR, back-end admin portal for office, more

Yes

MobileWarrior.com

MiX Telematics

MiX Rovi

Dedicated unit

$0 with lease

Monthly: Varies with service plan/bundle

IFTA, geofencing, maintenance tools, driver/vehicle utili-zation tools, fuel/engine monitoring, integrated vid-eo cameras, distracted and fatigued driv-ing monitor-ing, collision avoidance, mobile apps

No

MiXTelematics.com

KeepTruckin

KeepTruckin

BYOD | Android, iOS


Monthly: $20 for service

IFTA, idle-time tracking, engine diagnostics, geofencing, driver score-cards, TMS integrations (TMW, McLeod)

Yes

KeepTruckin.com

Omnitracs

MCP/IVG

Dedicated units

$799 and up depending on model, lease options available


Engine diagnostics, mobile-based weigh station bypass, IFTA, in-cab scan-ning, truck navigation, geofencing, custom forms, TMS inte-gration, idle tracking, video recording, simple instal-lation, more

Yes

Omnitracs.com

Omnitracs

XRS

BYOD | Company-cer-tified Android devices

$0 with hard-ware lease option


Base service plan includes engine diagnostics and fuel-pur-chase and maintenance functions; Pre-mium package includes IFTA and navigation with oilfield capability

Yes

Omnitracs.com

Pedigree Technologies

ELD Chrome

Cab-Mate Open: BYOD, Android | Cab-Mate Connect: Dedicated unit | Cab-Mate One: All-in-one plug-and-play

$0 with lease, $399-$799 for dedicated unit, $299-$399 for BYOD solution


IFTA, engine diagnostics standard; cus-tomizable with fleet manage-ment functions including dispatch, forms, job management, maintenance, tires, seatbelts, trailer tracking, temperature monitoring, more

Yes

ELDCertified.com



BYOD | Android | or paired with dedicated Android tablet

$0 with hard-ware lease, $200 or higher without


Engine diag-nostics, fuel management, IFTA data col-lection, alerts and reports, geofenc-ing, driver scorecards, maintenance module, more

No

NeroGlobal.com

One20

F-ELD


$170

$0

Base func-tionality for logs and DVIR, roadside mode password-pro-tected

Yes

One20.com/ELD

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


PeopleNet

eDriver Logs

Dedicated units

$0 with lease option up to $2,000 depending on capabilities

Monthly: $30-$60 for service, more with lease if applicable

Customizable for fleet management functions, mobile-based weigh station bypass

Yes

PeopleNetOn-line.com

Pegasus TransTech

Transflo ELD T7

BYOD | Android, iOS

$99 for hardware/harness, $0 with long-term contract

Monthly: $18 and higher depending on plan selected

IFTA, engine performance data, driver behavior insights, acci-dent detection and recon-struction, TMS integration, loads, dispatch chat, weather, routing, docu-ment scanning, more

Yes

Transflo.com

Navistar

OnCommand Connection


$120


Vehicle loca-tion tracking, geofencing, harsh braking/acceleration/idle reporting, breadcrumb trails; error help and alerts of vio-lations, IFTA, advanced vehicle diag-nostics

Yes

OnCommand-Connection.com

Rand McNally

DC200


$399, custom options avail-able for larger fleets


TMS integra-tion, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, en-gine diagnos-tics, cellular modem

No

RandMcNally.com

Rand McNally

TND765

Dedicated unit

$699, custom options avail-able for larger fleets


Truck-specific navigation, TMS integra-tion, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, diagnostics

No

RandMcNally.com

Rand McNally

ELD50


$149


TMS integra-tion, workflow, IFTA, mapping, analytics, diagnostics

No

RandMcNally.com

Simple Truck ELD

Simple Truck ELD


$0 for BYOD, $10 for tablet with 200 MB subsequent data allowance


IFTA, free 2290 filing with affiliated tax service, parking assis-tance, diag-nostics data, load boards, roadside assistance, discounted fuel cards, fuel management, available in Spanish

Yes

SimpleTruck-ELD.com

Spireon

FleetLocate Compliance

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease


IFTA, driver safety alerts/reports, driver scores, audible alerts, engine diag-nostics

No

Spireon.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


Teletrac Navman

Director Drive

Dedicated unit

$0 with lease


IFTA, engine diagnostics, dispatch and messaging, safety analyt-ics, workflow solutions, truck-based navigation, driver score-cards, TMS integration

Yes

Teletrac-Navman.com

Stoneridge

EZ-ELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$149

Monthly: $15 | Annually: $150

IFTA, engine diagnostics, three inter-changeable onboard diagnostics (OBD) port connectors, maintenance/driver alerts, sophisticated tracking/ve-hicle location, six months of on-device data storage, more

Yes

EZ-ELD.com

Quartix

Electronic Logging from Quartix


$79-$119 depending on available promotions

Monthly: $19.20-$22.20/month or $4/month on top of InfoPlus subscription

Sophisticated tracking tools, fleet manage-ment functions (including dashboards), IFTA, more

No

Quartix.com

Trucklogger

Trucklogger 4.0


$99

Monthly: $5

IFTA, per diem and load anal-ysis reports

No

Trucklogger.mobi

Trimble

FieldMaster Logs

Dedicated unit

$0 with monthly plan


Rule sets for vocational trucks, driver monitoring, proactive alerts, geofencing, offroad telematics, PTO tracking, engine diag-nostics

Yes

Trimble.com

Zonar

Zonar Logs

Dedicated unit (Zonar An-droid tablets)

Varies according to fleet size and options chosen

Varies with service plan/features

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for dispatch, management, operational functions; camera; navigation; Android compatibility; over-the-air updates

Yes

ZonarSystems.com

Zed Connect

Zed ELD


$200

$0

Route man-agement, fleet dashboard

Yes

Zed-ELD.com

TruxTrax

TruxBox ELD


$0

Monthly: $20 with one-year commitment, $25 month to month

IFTA, expense and fuel track-ing/reporting, more

Yes

TruxTrax.com

Provider

Device Name

Type of Device

Initial cost


truck

Other capabilities

beyond logs

On FMCSA registry?


UTech Inc.

GPSTab ELD Edition

BOYD | An-droid

$0 with lease, $200 to purchase ELD plug

Monthly: $20

IFTA, load lo-cation sharing with customer, document scanner, driver score-card, flexible reporting

Yes

UtechCorp.com

TruckX

XELD

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0

Monthly: $15-$21 per truck, unlimited drivers

IFTA, route history, dispatch, share specific load tracking, engine diagnostics, service and maintenance reminders

Yes

TruckX.com

Telogis

Telogis Work-Plan

BYOD | Android, iOS

$0 with lease option up to $100 and more

Monthly: $36 including hardware lease and up

Document capture, trip plan sharing, engine diag-nostics and prognostics, more

Yes

Telogis.com


ELD productsCOMPLIANCE ASSURANCE SERVICES TRULOGCompliance Assurance Services’ TruLog is a mobile app for electronic logging device compliance that meets all FMCSA requirements. The ELD easily plugs in to the electronic control module, which com-municates with the app on a smartphone or tablet and transmits required data to update hours of service information that is stored securely and shared easily with safety investigators and regulatory agencies. The user-friendly app has a sleek design that’s simple to use and easy to read for both the driver and the safety investigator. The information includes easy-to-understand updates on mileage, fuel and GPS location. The app’s tools provide advanced functionality such as electronic DVIRs, automated maintenance work orders and accident reporting. It is designed for fast image and file uploading, including bills of lading and photos. The app’s multi-user capability allows owner-operators to manage two accounts, one as a driver and one as a supervisor.

Compliance Assurance Services, TrulogELD.com

CONNECTED HOLDINGS’ HOS REPORTERHOS Reporter is a two-in-one driver-friend-ly compliance device for owner-operators and small fleets. It includes electronic logging device and full AOBRD options that provide e-logs under older regulations that allow for editable logs and less data sent following stops, meaning added privacy and possibly fewer citations. It also offers electronic DVIRs and automated IFTA data

logging. The subscription includes an easy-to-install GPS device for the truck’s 6-pin, 9-pin or Volvo-Mack data connector. To use the software, download a copy from HOS-Reporter.com. Options include HOS Reporter-Bluetooth, the lowest-cost option that sends information using the driver’s smartphone and data plan; HOS Re-porter-Bluetooth/Cellular, which sends information over cellular net-works using the driver’s smartphone; and HOS Reporter-Bluetooth/Cellular and Tablet, which sends information over cellular networks using the company’s dedicated tablet. The initial cost is $0, with an ongoing monthly fee of $15 (two years prepaid) or $18 (one year).

Connected Holdings, HOS-Reporter.com

CONTINENTAL VDO ROADLOGVDO RoadLog has a built-in thermal printer that provides an instant hard copy that resem-bles a traditional paper logbook grid for an inspection officer to review. A paper printout elimi-nates technical issues involving transferring log data that otherwise might lead to drivers handing over their personal cell phones to an officer or having the officer climb into the cab to review an electronic logging device screen. VDO RoadLog ELDs work with VDO RoadLog Office, an online fleet management tool for automated compliance reporting designed for fast, secure data transfers and automatic online record backup. The product also helps automate IRP and IFTA reporting, as well as pre-and post-trip inspections. VDO RoadLog is designed for easy installation and use and is available without monthly fees or contracts. Optional features include Driver/Vehicle Track & Trace, Load & Trip Management, VDO RoadLog Office Advanced and VDO RoadLog Office Premium.

VDO Commercial Vehicles, VDORoadLog.com

BIGROAD DASHLINK ELDOver 480,000 drivers and 30,000 fleets trust BigRoad to achieve regulatory compliance.

The plug-and-play DashLink ELD connects to the BigRoad Mobile App on the driver’s device via Bluetooth, making it transferrable between drivers and trucks. Together, these solutions display real-time risk notifications and create logs that inspectors love.

DashLink is an AOBRD and ELD in one! Take advantage of the AOBRD extension by installing DashLink before December 18, 2017. AOBRDs offer more flexibility, giving drivers time to get comfortable with engine-connected logging before moving to ELDs. Transitioning to an ELD is as simple as a free software update.

1-2 truck fleets that purchase a DashLink by December 18, 2017 on a one-year contract get an additional 3 months free! If purchased via the link provided below, they’ll also get a $25 gift card.

Purchase your DashLink online here: BigRoad.com/3Free

ELD PRODUCTS


GEOTAB DRIVEGeotab Drive is a FMC-SA-com-pliant solution for moni-toring hours of service, DVIRs and driver identification. The app syncs data between the Geotab Go plug-in device and a tablet to provide automatic duty status changes, violation alerts and end-to-end inspection workflow, all in one user-friendly platform. Geotab Drive is compatible with the company’s Go 6 and Go 7 devices, IOX-USB and Android or iOS. In addition to electronic logging, Go’s capabilities include IFTA data collection, engine diagnos-tics, driver scorecards, safety/risk management functions and data integration for management; more custom additions are available from the Geotab Marketplace. The initial cost for the FMCSA-registered device is $170, and the ongoing lease or service fee per truck is about $20 to $30 per month.

Geotab, Geotab.com

DRIVEELDDriveELD’s low-cost mobile application and web dashboard is designed for complete mandato-ry FMCSA documen-tation of hours of service compliance. DriveELD maximiz-es drive time and reduces fines and human error by eliminating paperwork and keeping drivers and fleets updated from pickup to drop-off, which leads to faster DOT inspec-tions, reduced audit times and elimination of violations. Features include easy HOS logging; duty status recording; log creation, editing and certification; and DVIR reports. The compact connector installs directly to the J1939 port and connects wirelessly to the DriveELD app to interface with mobile devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth without interfering with cellular connectivity. The connector comes in various versions to support customized needs, and all hardware is fully test-ed before it leaves the factory to provide cloud-based storage for all electronic logging device data. The system costs $99 per year.

DriveELD, Drive-ELD.com

While electronic logs gen-erally automate parts of log keeping and in some ways simplify the rest, they still require direct driver involvement in most duty status changes.

As with paper logs, drivers using electronic logs are in control of all duty status inputs. The exception is the drive line, which can function automatically. It’s also the only status the driver will be unable to edit directly through his driver login.

To minimize the need

for annotations required with any edit, the long-in-practice habit of “catch-ing up the log book” by drivers will fall by the wayside. With no pencil to be pushed across paper, as long as the device is operational and open, duty status changes hap-pen with the simple push of a button in real time.

The drive line can be edited only from the administrator’s account to classify an unassigned driving event or drive time as personal conveyance or

a yard move, or to reas-sign time to the correct driver. Drive time cannot be reduced. Any edits made from the admin-istrator account – the back-office login – must be certified as accurate by the driver, which occurs through the driver’s user interface of the ELD when the edit is made.

An independent owner-operator will have two separate logins for the sys-tem: one as a driver, the other as the administrator. An independent lacking

two email addresses may need to get a second one. Many systems require unique addresses to asso-ciate with the logins as administrator and driver-user.

When it comes to the look and feel of the user interface that e-log provid-er companies are required to produce, the ELD final rule leaves plenty of room for variation. It did, how-ever, make the require-ment that devices display a graph grid like that in paper logs.

LOGGING DUTY STATUS AND MAKING EDITS


PEDIGREE TECHNOLOGIES CAB-MATE ONEPedigree Technologies launched Cab-Mate One as the most affordable and easiest plug-and-play electronic logging device to install (five minutes). The Cab-Mate One is the third addition to the compa-ny’s FMCSA-certified ELD Chrome offering, built on the award-win-ning, intuitive and reliable OneView platform.

The offerings are developed using customer feedback and real-life applica-tions, not just compliance restrictions. This means Android-ready ELD Chrome offers FMCSA compliance with options for expandability into a full suite of comprehensive business management tools, from basic ELD to equipment tracking; and tire pressure, tank level and tempera-ture monitoring, just to name a few.

Monthly fees are as low as $22. The Cab-Mate One runs as low at $399 each when purchasing 100 or more units; $0 with lease. In addition to the ruggedized all-in-one plug-and-play Cab-Mate One, ELD Chrome also offers a BYOD Android option, the Cab-Mate Open; and a dedicated unit, Cab-Mate Connect.

Pedigree Technologies, PedigreeTechnologies.com

PEGASUS TRANSTECH TRANSFLO ELD T7Pegasus Trans-Tech’s Transflo ELD T7 packs a lot of power in one affordable punch. It’s a BYOD solution – smartphone or tablet – that is easy to use and available for Android and iOS. At less than 3 inches, the device is durable and compact. Plug in and activate in minutes without a mechanic or special tools.

The Standard ELD Plan includes hours of service compliance, DVIRs and IFTA reporting. The premium Fleet Telematics plan adds detailed truck maintenance and engine performance data, as well as driver behavior insights. The hardware is available for less than $99, with monthly subscriptions starting at $18. The device is available for purchase from Transflo, Transflo channel partners and Pilot Flying J, Love’s and TA Petro travel stops.

The product integrates with the rest of the Transflo Mobile suite. You can manage not only HOS but also loads, dispatch chat, weather and routing, document scanning, settlement statements and more.

Pegasus TransTech, Transflo.com

SPECIAL DRIVING CATEGORIES Yard moves functionality was specified in the ELD final rule as

a way for carriers to move vehicles around company terminals

without automatically triggering an on-duty driving status.

Yard-moves mode for particular drivers will be enabled from

the administrator account and then selected by the driver when

making a yard move – the default status for a yard move is Line

4, on-duty not-driving.

Personal conveyance uses of the truck while off-duty also

are enabled from the administrator account for drivers. The per-

sonal conveyance mode then can be selected by the driver using

the truck for personal reasons during off-duty periods. Once

selected, the default duty status is off-duty for the ELD for as

long as it’s selected, including when in motion. GPS refinement

is reduced from a one-mile radius to 10 miles.

Various hours exemptions and special rule variants such

as those pertaining to the 30-minute break and rules for oilfield

operations can be handled as they have been, FMCSA’s rule

states, via notes sections to the logs. However, numerous ELD

providers support special oilfield rule sets, including Apollo,

E-Log Plus, Hutch, Omnitracs’ XRS device and others.

OMNITRACS MCP, XRSThe Omnitracs Enterprise Services platform on the Intelligent Vehi-cle Gateway is compatible with all MCP models and Omnitracs applications, with flexible connection and integra-tion options. The product offers engine diagnostics, mobile-based weigh-station bypass, IFTA accounting, in-cab scanning, truck navigation, geofencing, custom mobile forms, idle-time tracking and integration with transportation management software systems. Driv-er-friendly features include a large self-dimming screen, intuitive alerts and hands-free functionality.

The company’s BYOD (bring your own device) line of XRS products is available on Android and Windows Mobile devices and, in addition to electronic logging device compliance, is customizable for fleet management functions, dispatch, forms, maintenance, IFTA accounting and more. The XRS platform is compatible with Omnitracs applications and most TMS platforms.

Omnitracs, Omnitracs.com

ELD PRODUCTS


TRUCKX XELDTruckX XELD is a simple and affordable platform de-signed for owner-operators and fleets. The plug-and-play device takes seconds to install. It connects to a truck and talks via Blue-tooth to a driver’s phone or tablet. The TruckX XELD app requires almost no training. Use of phones or tablets allows flexibility and portability among trucks.

The app makes it simple to handle roadside inspections, DVIRs and log updates. It displays hours of service information, and with alerts and notifications, drivers can take appropriate action to avoid costly violation fines. They also can upload documents through the app, such as bills of lading.

The system takes care of all the administrative tasks for small fleets, allowing them to track trucks and otherwise manage vehi-cles. IFTA reports are generated every quarter.

There is no charge for the hardware; just a small monthly fee. TruckX will cover the device throughout its service.

TruckX Inc., TruckX.com

UTECH GPSTab ELD EDITIONGPSTab ELD Edition pro-vides a powerful suite of tools to help you manage your fleet and comply with the latest FMCSA regulations (AOBRD option coming soon). The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with no contract and an “If Repealed” buy-back program and free software option for 2017.

Features include live GPS tracking, location sharing, document scanning, driver scorecards, IFTA accounting, messaging, flexible reporting, detention hours tracking and telematics. Features will be added continually based on customer feedback.

The ability to share live shipment locations with customers reduc-es unnecessary tracking-related correspondence. Tracking intervals from five seconds to one hour supply fleet owners with accurate, relevant information for better management. Users can monitor current location, speed, miles traveled, route selection and other driver activities. Alerts provide drivers with information necessary to prevent violations. Proof of detention time and document-scan-ning functions help drivers get paid faster.

GPSTab ELD Edition, GPSTab.com

ZED CONNECT ZED ELDZed Connect’s Zed ELD is a BYOD Bluetooth-ready compliance solution for the iOS and Android operating platforms. Zed’s Bluetooth adapter is compatible with 9-pin J1939 di-agnostic ports – both Type 1 (black/gray) and Type 2 (green) – and uses multiple levels of security to con-nect to Zed’s mobile app to capture the required electronic logging device data for FMCSA compliance. For drivers, Zed ELD offers daily certification, hours of service track-ing, duty status records and DVIR reporting for DOT inspections to maintain compliance. It also offers routing and navigation, including real-time updates on road conditions, closures and construction. For fleets, the solution also offers route management, GPS tracking, DVIR documentation and a dashboard. ZED intends to use its open platform to develop additional services. The device is designed for easy installation, and the initial cost is $200 with no ongoing monthly fee.

Zed Connect, Zed-ELD.com

PREPASS ELDFrom the providers of PrePass weigh station bypass service comes PrePass ELD, a streamlined, simple solution to comply with the electronic logging device mandate. PrePass ELD is certified to track hours of service and records only the data required by law. It can be used with existing mobile devices and takes seconds to install: Download the application, plug the OBD device into the truck’s diagnostics port, and PrePass ELD begins tracking movement and driver hours-of-operation metrics. It also includes web-based reporting through a convenient cloud-based central management portal.

As part of the PrePass family of services, PrePass ELD includes the same high standards for data privacy and customer support that has made PrePass one of the industry’s most trusted providers. The cost of the PrePass ELD app per truck is $14.99 per month and $12.99 per month when added to the weigh station bypass service.

PrePass, PrePass.com/OO-ELD

Documents

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