12 Benefits of Using an ELD for Your Fleet
Oded Ran, CEO and Co-Founder of Clue since 2019, expertly integrates AI and data tools to revolutionize construction equipment management and maintenance, positioning Clue as a premier software choice in the construction industry.
The use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record the service hours of commercial vehicle drivers is common and occasionally mandated by law.
These gadgets are an essential tool that provides a variety of features to enhance the entire commercial driving experience when combined with the best fleet management software
Understanding how to operate an ELD is crucial for users across various industries. We can help with that.
In addition to explaining why ELDs are so important for commercial drivers, this article will teach you how to operate and install one, even if you are not compelled to use one.
What is an ELD?
The electronic logging device (ELD) is a device that is used by drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) to record hours of service (HOS), miles driven, engine statistics, and other applicable information.
Electric logging devices (ELDs) give fleet compliance, inspections, and planning capabilities by keeping dispatchers and drivers in the know in real-time for drivers' status.
These are all parts of electronic logs: a mobile app, fleet management software, and a tracking device, which is attached to the vehicle.
Here’s how an ELD works:
1. Data Capture: The ELD receives data on the vehicle's engine through its connection to the engine.
There are a lot of useful data points recorded, such as engine hours, vehicle movement, and miles driven.
2. Driver Identification: The ELD assigns a unique identification to each driver when it is deployed in a shared vehicle or a fleet.
When you enter your credentials into the gadget, it will link your driving habits to your profile.
3. Recording HOS Status: The device works to automatically record everything related to your HOS status, including driving time, on-duty time, off-duty time, and rest breaks. The precise calculation you take to this problem won't require you to worry about breaking any rules.
4. Automatic Recording: The device starts collecting data at regular intervals, usually every 60 minutes, once the vehicle hits a specific speed threshold.
5. Editing and Annotations: With proper justification, you are allowed to make restricted adjustments to your records to add annotations or fix problems.
6. Display and Transfer: A driver's HOS status, available driving hours, and other pertinent information may be easily viewed on most ELDs' user-friendly interfaces. Before transmitting the data to authorized individuals or law enforcement, they can also verify and examine their logs.
7. Data Transfer and Storage: Additionally, these devices may electronically transmit data as needed and safely retain recorded data.
A standardized means, like a USB link or a wireless web service, allows authorized officials to access the data.
8. Compliance and Reporting: A comprehensive synopsis of a driver's HOS records, including annotations, duty status changes, infractions, and the reports generated by the ELD are available. Audits and inspections about compliance can make use of these reports.
How Does an ELD Work?
An electronic logging device (ELD) communicates with the vehicle's engine to accurately log driving time for HOS purposes.
The ELD establishes an immediate connection with the engine and logs data including engine hours, ignition status, position, and kilometers driven automatically.
After that, the telematics device transmits data about the engine and GPS coordinates to a server.
The server then generates Duty Status logs, which may be accessed through the ELD mobile app. All the time, the data is being refreshed.
A driver's electronic logging data is accessible through an ELD mobile app on their tablet or smartphone.
Fleet and compliance managers can keep tabs on compliance with the help of ELD reports, maps, and notifications thanks to the mobile app's syncing with fleet management software.
How Clue Enhances ELD Functionality
Clue is an AI-driven construction equipment software for businesses to help them optimize operations, ensure safety, and maintain compliance.
Clue integrates with electronic logging devices (ELDs), transcending the mere pulling of ELD data by taking the data even further, and providing deeper insights into vehicle performance, driver behavior, and operational efficiency.
Who is Required to Install an ELD?
Drivers Required to Maintain Records of Duty Status (RODS): Drivers under 49 CFR Part 395, 395.8(a), most of whom receive RODS, are required to use ELDs.
This is for drivers of both fleet and commercial equipment as well as drivers living in Canada and Mexico operating within the United States.
Exemptions from the ELD Requirement
Certain drivers are exempt from the ELD mandate, including:
- Short-Haul Drivers: Drivers operating under the short-haul exceptions can continue using timecards and are not required to keep RODS or use ELDs.
- Infrequent RODS Users: Drivers who use paper RODS for not more than 8 days in any 30-day period.
- Driveaway-Towaway Operations: Drivers conducting driveaway-towaway operations, where the vehicle being driven is the commodity being delivered.
- Older Vehicle Operators: Drivers of vehicles manufactured before the year 2000.
12 ELD Benefits Beyond Compliance
1. Safety at the Forefront of All Operations
The development of the ELD mandate was largely to make the drivers safe. The problem of drowsy driving is a major issue in the transportation industry and electronic logging devices (ELDs) reduce and help to mitigate this problem by alerting the driver when it's time to sleep or take a break so that the driver is more attentive when they are driving.
In addition, ELDs can prevent a multitude of accidents by enhancing route management, GPS tracking, fault code monitoring, and the timely detection that someone is driving impaired (distracted or fatigued).
Clue offers 70+ integrations with GPS and telematics solutions to provide real-time driver behavior and vehicle performance data.
Fleet managers gain actionable insights on speed, harsh braking, and acceleration and use metrics to improve safety, reduce accidents, and optimize operations.
2. Better Route Efficiency with Location Monitoring
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With ELDs, fleet managers can keep tabs on vehicles in real-time using GPS tracking, which boosts efficiency.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) can optimize fuel usage and boost efficiency.
GPS tracking, combined with breadcrumb trails and location information, can assist drivers and fleet management in establishing optimal and expedited routes.
Shorter routes save time, fuel, and money.
3. Vehicle Diagnostics
Data about driver actions, vehicle efficiency, and route effectiveness can be found in abundance in ELDs.
Improving fleet performance as a whole is possible through analysis of this data, which can also provide optimization opportunities.
An ELD can actively monitor fault codes because it is automatically connected to the vehicle's diagnostic port.
So, with the help of real-time alerts and comprehensive information, you can avoid vehicle upkeep issues from occurring.
Not only do you receive instant notifications anytime a fault code is identified, but you can also use previous fault code data to identify issues that keep happening. These reports can be used to enhance the preventative maintenance (PM) programs for your fleet.
Improving efficiency and productivity is possible through the timely implementation of precautionary and preventative actions.
Clue offers a comprehensive library of fault codes, a game-changing tool for fleet managers.
By integrating it with the diagnostic data coming in from your fleet, Clue helps create real-time alerts for any identified issues, as well as historical fault data to spot recurring problems.
It helps you enhance your preventative maintenance programs, decrease your vehicle upkeep, and lower downtime.
With Clue, you can be proactive about maintenance needs, optimize fleet performance, and ensure that operations remain optimal.
4. Reducing Liabilities
You can't control everything in life, and accidents can happen whether you like it or not. This means that businesses sometimes find themselves in court, regardless of whether or not they are guilty.
Electronic logs greatly improve the odds of acquittal in cases when the commercial driver is not at fault, benefiting both the driver and your business.
Electronic logging devices' data can be used as proof. It is likely that the driver was not at fault if there was no misconduct, no aggressive cornering, and no speeding.
Proof of the vehicle's proper maintenance may also be requested in the event of an accident. If your driver causes a rear-end collision, the other vehicle's owner or insurer can say that the driver was careless with the brakes. You can use ELD data to show that the vehicle in question has been well-maintained and is hence not at fault.
An additional advantage of ELD is the reliability and precision of the data recorded. It all comes down to the driver's record-keeping skills when it comes to written logs.
An innocent driver's case could be ruined or a plaintiff's case could be strengthened if the written logs contain even the smallest hint of an error or omission that would make the business liable for a collision.
5. Reducing Fuel Waste
The rising fuel cost really does make this useful data: the idle time. By knowing exactly how long each driver spends idling, you will be able to spot people who are idling too much or for too long.
You can take corrective actions based on this insight — or much worse, spend thousands of dollars in fuel expenses.
Part of that sustainability focus includes ELDs’ potential to save cost, as well as promoting more efficient driving behaviors and reducing needless idling.
This not only reduces fuel consumption and allows your company to meet sustainability goals, but it also helps to reduce emissions.
ELDs can save you money and be more eco-friendly by improving fuel efficiency and reducing idling.
6. Vehicle Inspection Reporting
Many drivers are under the false impression that ELDs will immediately notify authorities of any HOS violations they detect.
If there isn't a valid reason, such as a compliance audit or random roadside inspection, then no information will be sent to the authorities.
To be more specific, expedited roadside inspections are one perk of going ELD.
Your records will be more easily seen by inspection officials, saving you time and letting you get back on the road sooner rather than later.
7. Simplifying the Administrative Workflow
Nobody wants to become a fleet driver because they enjoy filling in forms, it’s so time-consuming and boring.
The FMCSA estimates that drivers fill out paper HOS logs for 20 hours each year.
There is a large amount of paperwork for the fleet management. Combined with a telematics device, ELDs can greatly reduce HOS paperwork and it’s much easier to do IFTA mileage reporting or driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs).
A physical DVIR form had to be filled out by drivers before each day's driving, and back-office administrators had to manually sort through fuel receipts in order to compute mileage for quarterly IFTA reports before the advent of electronic logging devices and fleet management software.
However, administrators can receive precise mileage data straight from the telematics device because it is linked to the engine's OBD connection.
Fleet managers can even configure Samsara to send them fuel reports regularly or idling alarms when drivers are idling too much.
8. Simplified IFTA Tax Calculation
At the conclusion of each quarter, all fleets are required to submit IFTA reports. This is a labor-intensive, paper-based procedure that lacks ELDs.
There is always room for human mistakes when dealing with massive amounts of computation.
By eliminating the need for human intervention, ELDs save countless hours and thousands of dollars in the IFTA computation process.
Automated IFTA reports minimize audit risk by lowering operational expenses and administrative responsibilities while simultaneously eliminating errors and discrepancies.
9. Driving Down Insurance Costs
Insurance rates rise dramatically when businesses are held responsible for accidents caused by their negligence.
Electronic license plates more than cover their costs when it comes to keeping insurance premiums low.
Insurance rates could go down thanks to ELDs in two ways:
- In most cases, CSA scores are used to determine premiums at the moment. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) link with the assets engine, letting carriers track drivers' actions and determine what kinds of risks lead to better CSA ratings.
- When ELDs are openly shared, they can give the insurance industry more data to use in making risk models. A driver's insurance premiums may be less affected by their CSA scores if this is the case.
The simple act of implementing ELDs across your fleet provides carriers with extensive, up-to-the-minute data, helping carriers minimize risk and prove there was no negligence if accidents do happen.
In the event of an accident where a plaintiff may attempt to claim negligence where there was none, carriers using ELDs can provide a clear record of a driver’s history—down to their braking habits and dispute any claims of negligence in employing them.
Manual logs often don’t include enough information to prove a driver involved in a crash was indeed a historically safe driver.
10. Identification of Poor Driving Behaviors
One more perk of ELDs is that they record drivers' actions. Bad driving habits like rapid acceleration, harsh braking, and erratic turning are part of this.
You can have productive conversations with drivers who exhibit risky driving behaviors when you identify them using ELD data.
Accidents and liabilities can be decreased by identifying drivers who pose a high risk.
Efficient tracking and gathering of this information is not possible without ELDs.
In addition, fleets can keep track of which drivers have been the most and least productive.
To increase motivation and driver retention rates, it is possible to train the worst-performing drivers and publicly recognize and reward the best.
You can see that opportunities are abundant when you have the correct data.
11. Higher Profits
ELDs yield a direct return on investment. Operations are made more cost-effective due to the absence of administrative overhead.
There is a direct positive correlation between reduced liabilities and improved insurance rates and the balance sheet.
The retention rate of drivers can also be enhanced by fleets through effective driver management.
Additionally, fleets can decrease operational costs, leading to increased profitability, through improved route management, idle-time tracking, monitoring of vehicle fault codes, automated IFTA calculation, and savings in fuel usage.
12. Keeping Records of Duty Status (RODS)
Recording one's responsibility of status every 24 hours using structures prescribed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a legal requirement.
The acronym "RODS" stands for "record of duty status," which is another name for a driver's log.
The following information can be entered by drivers: date, vehicle number, total driving hours, total miles driven in 24 hours, name of the carrier, address, the beginning time of 24 hours, driver's certification/signature, and notes.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs), automatic on-board recording gadgets permitted by the FMCSA, or even manual grid maintenance are all viable options for keeping records. Logs must be consistently validated by noting any change in duty status.
Conclusion
The use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) has led to a dramatic change in how commercial vehicle operations are managed.
They also boost operational efficiency in that it becomes easier to follow hours of service rules.
This helps fleet owners to watch the condition of their vehicles in real time, and the safety of everyone on the road.
Frequently Asked Questions About ELDs
1. Who is exempt from using an ELD?
Some drivers are exempt from using an electronic logging device (ELD):
- Short-haul drivers
- Drivers who maintain RODS for 8 days or fewer
- Drivers of motor vehicles manufactured before 2000
- Certain driveaway-towaway operations
2. Can I have an ELD on my phone?
If the ELD rule technical requirements are met, a smartphone can also be used as an Electronic Logging Device (ELD).
3. What is the difference between AOBRD and ELDs?
Automatic On-Board Recording Devices or AOBRD are governed by the rule 1988 AOBRD (49 CFR 395.15). Just like an ELD, an AOBRD has built-in synchronization capabilities and automatically logs a driver's duty status. Likewise, an ELD complies with the ELD guidelines, and has numerous features and capabilities.
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