Every company offers a different electronic logging device (ELD product) and fleet management system. That’s almost never a bad thing. Competition breeds innovation, and companies that respond to customer needs and make life easier and more profitable for fleets and businesses, do well.
The free market is a beautiful thing.
But the trucking industry is a different beast. It’s not enough for a vendor to provide features and solutions that help your business grow and become more efficient. You have to know that you’re in full compliance with all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules. If not, you’re the one sidelined, out of business, or out of cash as you get yourself in compliance. And the vendor who sold you a bad product? Gone, vanished like smoke.
ELD Problems We See
On the FMCSA list of self-certified ELD providers, there are currently about two dozen names. As a consumer and fleet owner, you should be able to go to that list and feel confident that all you have to do is choose a company that offers the features you want at a price you can afford. Unfortunately that’s not necessarily the case.
Not all the vendors on that list offer the same (required) features in their ELD. Some big names are selling fleets a bill of goods, letting big companies believe they’ve got what they need to keep FMCSA from breathing down their neck. But they aren’t selling fully compliant systems.
Part of the ELD mandate says that if a driver gets into the truck and doesn’t log-in and starts driving, there needs to be a record of that (Unidentified Driving Time). This is a big part of the FMCSA rules. A few systems we found have no Unidentified Driving Time option. Some of them don’t offer GPS, which is part of what makes this feature work. At least one vendor offers a product that lets the fleet adjust the time for the ELD to automatically switch to on-duty after driving begins. This is a big problem.
Bad Systems Cost You Money
Some people might like the option of getting around the rules. But honest fleets know the only way to stay in business and make any money is to do it right and stay on the right side of the FMCSA. You have every right to trust that a company listed on their website as an ELD provider is offering you a product that works, follows the mandate, and keeps you legal.
A bad ELD costs you money. Imagine if you’ve got 500 or 1000 trucks and the money you’ll pay to get them all equipped with ELDs. Now, think about what that means if you do it once, find out it’s a bad ELD, and have to spend the time and money to find another vendor and start the process all over again. The FMCSA gives you 60 days to get in compliance but for a fleet that’s feeling a cash flow pinch, it’s not going to be easy. Worst of all, you were the one suckered by a company that didn’t really care if their system was 100 percent compliant or not.
Of course, we think Gorilla Safety is the best and most compliant system available, and we’ve got the third party self-certifications to prove it. But this isn’t just about that. You’ve got to find the vendor that works best for your fleet. It’s important that you know what to look for and what to ask as you begin to search for the ELD you want to use.
Don’t be fooled by a company that tells you certain parts of the ELD mandate aren’t “really” required. Be wary of anyone who says “they’ll have it ready in time” but pushes you to buy now. You deserve to feel confident about the system you’re choosing from the very beginning. More than that, the law requires that you use a compliant system. Make sure you know what you’re getting.
Want to know more about Gorilla Safety and why we’re so confident about our ELD compliance? Contact us today and let’s talk.
