Evaluating the Potential Safety Benefits of Electronic Logging Devices

An Electronic Logging Device (also known as E-Log and ELD) is a piece of electronic hardware that is used for recording the number of driving hours. It is attached to the engine in commercial motor vehicles and the device keeps track of the number of hours driven, by determining if the engine is being used and if so then for how long it has been in use. An Electronic Logging Device is also able to keep track of the number of miles driven by a vehicle.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a governing body that has issued a list of rules titled Hours of Service (HOS) and these are used to regulate the number of hours driven by commercial vehicles (generally busses and trucks that are used to transport goods or paying passengers from one place to another). These rules vary from country to country and depend on the Transportation Department in each country.

There are a number of Electronic Logging Devices available in the market currently but a name that stands out from the rest with an impressive score of 9 is KeepTruckin ELD! This device has amassed a large number of favorable reviews and ratings because of its affordable price tag and due to the fact that its easy to use and without any unnecessary complications or errors, another device that caught our attention is the EROAD ELD.

Through research conducted by the FMCSA it was deduced that Electronic Lagging Devices play an important role in maintaining highway safety hence ELDs were recently concluded as a mandatory part of commercial vehicles. There were a number of factors that led to the ELD Mandate and this FMCSA approved device developed by KeepTruckin aims to deliver all of the possible safety benefits that come with an keep truckin ELD. Some of the highlights from the study are listed below:

• Around $700 can be saved each year by not having to do any paperwork.
• Up to twenty hours can be saved by not having to manually maintain a record or log book.
• 1500 gallons of diesel can be saved annually as companies will be able to determine when the driver was idling and when he/she was doing actual work.
• Crashes were reduced by approximately 12% when an ELD was being used and this led to the deduction that around 500 injuries and 26 death could be avoided annually.
• The traffic rules violation percentage was reduced by 53% when ELDs were in use.

With an ELD the first advantage that one can think of is that there now is a set limit on the number of hours that a commercial vehicle driver can sit behind the wheel for. This limit contributes in greatly reducing weariness in drivers; irregular sleeping times, tiring work schedules and long work hours are all factors that contribute to tiredness and fatigue and these can eventually result in the driver not being able to stay alert and therefore the probability of a road accident is increased. An ELD eliminates the driver’s task of manually recording the driving hours and hence the time that would have been spent on paperwork can now be spent resting or by taking a quick break.

When the logs are automatically maintained then the driver has one less thing to worry about, he/she can direct all his/her attention on driving without having to remember the number of hours driven so far or calculate the distance that has to be covered for him/her to take a break.

Discussed above were all advantages and benefits for the drivers but you will be surprised to know than ELDs offer numerous benefits to the companies that hire these drivers as well. Not only can companies track their drivers in real time but they can also make deductions about the suitability of a driver to the job. Some of the key features in the KeepTruckin ELD that help both drivers and companies are explained below:

• The device comes hand in hand with its own Electronic Log Book app (which is amongst the highest rated apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store)! The app as its name suggests is an electronic replacement for the old-fashioned manual log book and when used together with the ELD the app ensures that the driver is abiding by the Hours of Service regulations. The app is also editable for the driver’s convenience. Another major benefit of the app is that it supports team driving: the drivers should be having separate accounts on the app (there is no need for more than one ELD) and when one driver is done with his part of the task he/she can disconnect from the device (using the app) and allow the next driver to connect. The driver is able to connect his/her phone to the ELD via Bluetooth.
• Drivers are able to receive and send messages with the app and KeepTruckin also offers around the clock technical support: the customer service team can be reached at any time of the day via email, social media or by call.
• The drivers have scorecards so that potential employers can get an idea of the driver’s previous work experience and determine if he/she would be a suitable employee.
• Companies are able to track their drivers hence they can find out if the driver is idling around with the vehicle of it he/she is working.
• When driving in remote areas if the driver’s mobile is not able to access a cellular network the driving hours are still accounted for as the ELD used Bluetooth.
• The hardware piece is amongst the most affordable Electronic Logging Devices available and despite this it offers the same benefits as other higher priced ELDs.
• The device is extremely easy to use and the drivers are able to understand how it works within the first few hours of using the app.
• The app offers a rough preview of the driver’s work schedule for the next seven days hence allowing drivers to make other plans accordingly.