There is plenty of misinformation out there about ELDs. It’s important to get the facts so you can make an informed decision and stay in compliance with the law.
ELDs Will Put the Little Guy Out of Business
This myth comes from the fear of the cost, loss of driving hours, and more strict hours of service (HOS) compliance. In reality, most companies who go to an ELD never want to go back. A driver actually gets more drive time because your HOS is calculated down to the minute instead of having to round to the nearest 15 minutes like you do with a paper log.
In fact, the improved transparency and scheduling based on more accurate available hours can allow a driver to use more of his allowable time rather than “waste” any leftover time at the end of the day. Industry leaders see this as a way to more than make up for any potential capacity issues around the ELD implementation.
ELDs are Too Expensive
In conjunction with the “out of business” myth with cost being cited as a reason, this myth is also false. In the early days of ELDs, it could cost about $2,500 per truck, which was very expensive. Now, the costs are much lower. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimating the average cost is $495 with a price range of $165 to $832 per truck. See just how affordable the Gorilla Safety Fleet Management System really is by scheduling your demo, today.
You Have to Interact your ELD While You’re Driving
Yes, a driver needs to log-in before getting on the road. And yes, the driver must select a status like Off-Duty or Sleeper Berth. But once the wheels are rolling, the system is able to switch automatically between Driving and On-Duty Not Driving, assuming a driver has selected the correct status for themselves. ELDs also offer a countdown/warning function to let a driver know they’re running low on hours – without the driver needing to check.
HOS Violations WIll be Automatically Reported to Law Enforcement
Nothing from an ELD is automatically reported to law enforcement. The only reason an HOS report might be transmitted would be on request for a roadside inspection, a traffic infraction, or an FMCSA compliance audit. It’s worth noting that ELDs made roadside inspections much faster.
ELDs Can Shut Down Your Truck
While remote shutdown technology exists, it’s not standard in ELD products. All an ELD is meant to do is record information. The driver is in control of whether the vehicle is moving or not.
You Only Need a Smartphone for Your ELD
One of the FMCSA requirements states that an ELD must be “integrally synchronized” with your truck’s engine. This isn’t possible with just a smartphone. Plus, GPS alone can’t accurately track the miles you’ve driven. A smartphone, however, can be part of your ELD system like the Gorilla Safety app, but there’s more to it than just the app.
ELDs Don’t Reduce Costs
ELDs can definitely reduce costs, if companies and drivers use the information provided by them. Bad driving behaviors that cost you fuel can be identified. This can potentially save you thousands of dollars in fuel per truck per year. HOS violations are also prevented by ELDs, which saves you the cost of fines and penalties
The deadline for ELD compliance is December 2017. Now is the time to look for the ELD system you want for your company. Now that you have the right information, it’s time to find the right company.
Contact us at Gorilla Safety to learn more about what our system can do for your entire fleet.
