Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/466315
E lectronic logging devices can be a delicate issue for fleets with owner-operators. Last year, research by CCJ's sister publication, Overdrive, found that independent operators remain strongly opposed to the technology; 70 percent said they would go so far as to quit the industry before using ELDs. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will mandate the use of ELDs when it publishes a Final Rule later this year. Fleets and drivers then will have a two-year window to implement ELDs before enforcement begins. Traditionally, fleets have used in-cab systems to deploy electronic logs, but using consumer platforms such as smartphones and tablets creates a differ- ent vibe. For starters, drivers can install these applications themselves for free within minutes. Free electronic logging apps offer an easy entry point, with the caveat that drivers will need to have a printer to create a paper copy of their logs for law enforcement. Fleets and drivers that use these apps also will need to upgrade to technology 34 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2015 an ELD-compliant device in the near future. Diamond Coach Leasing operates luxury buses for clients in the music entertainment industry. All 94 drivers for the Nashville, Tenn.-based company are owner-operators. When looking to make the transition to electronic logs, Sarah Beth Imperi, the fleet's safety director, put a premium on the ease of use. Two of the fleet's drivers already were us- ing a free app from BigRoad. "Once I saw the application from a driver's perspective, I knew it was very easy to work with," Imperi says. Diamond Coach Leasing rolled out BigRoad fleetwide. The company pays BigRoad a monthly fee of $15 per user for online access to driver log data through the vendor's Web-based dashboard. The fleet plans to upgrade to BigRoad's latest ELD option, DashLink, a device that plugs into the vehicle's diagnostics port to record truck and odometer values for an accurate record of driving time. When DashLink is used, drivers do not need a printer. Extended mobility By deploying ELDs on personal devices, the applica- tion stays with drivers inside and outside the vehicle, helping them to keep their duty status updated and use additional business applications to plan their schedules and routes. Bennett International Group has an owner- operator fleet of 2,600 drivers and offers a diversified DELICATE ISSUE: ELDs can be touchy going for fleets with owner-operators. USE YOUR OWN DEVICE: Free electronic logging apps offer an easy entry point. ALWAYS WORKING: The application stays with driv- ers in and out of the vehicle. MAKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WORK FOR YOUR FLEET BY AARON HUFF BYOD model helps fleets convert owner-operators to e-logs The path of least resistance With the HD-100 from Rand McNally, Bennett International Group has deployed electronic logs on Android tablets. BigRoad has released a new DashLink option for its electronic logging app.