The Electronic Logging Device (ELD), a new requirement for commercial drivers, regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is about to become a reality for millions of drivers across the country. The move to newer technology and away from paper logs used since 1938 is hailed for its many benefits.
Besides reducing paperwork and increasing accuracy for the hours of service (HOS) for drivers, what else do ELDs do?
Bottom-line: ELDs help keep everyone a little safer.
Safety Benefits of Electronic Logging Devices
The FMCSA completed a study in 2013 on the potential safety benefits for those drivers already using Electronic Logging Devices. While they did not include small owner/operators in the study, focusing only on the large fleets, their results were promising.
- Trucks with ELDs had an 11.7% lower crash rate than non-ELD equipped trucks.
- They had a 5.1% lower preventable crash rate than trucks without ELDs.
- It is estimated that 26 lives per year will be saved thanks to the benefits of ELDs.
- ELDs may prevent over 560 injuries each year.
- The cost savings of these additional safety benefits is close to $400 million per year.
In the course of the study, other benefits were noted, including a 53% lower rate for HOS violations and a 49% lower rate for non-driving violations.
Using a Complete Management System Improves Safety
While the ELD is a requirement for logging the HOS of your drivers and comes with its own safety benefits, making sure to use complete management system, like Gorilla Safety, can improve the safety of your drivers and everyone else on the road, as well.
- Maintenance can be scheduled easily and done in a timely fashion.
- A repair tracker can make sure all necessary repairs are completed in a timely fashion and records can be created and stored to show those repairs.
- Inspection, maintenance, and other alerts will let you know what’s happening (or not) in real-time.
Trucks that are in good working order and well-maintained don’t break down on the side of the road, create issues on the highway that lead to accidents, or put your driver’s safety at risk. The right ELD system will do so much more than log a driver’s HOS. It’ll keep everyone notified and in the loop in order to keep everyone safe.
If you’re ready to see the different benefits – financial and safety – of an Electronic Logging Device system that uses available smartphone technology, helping you save time and money, let us know. Gorilla Safety offers a complete fleet management system designed to keep you and your drivers on the road to success. Contact us today to learn more.
