Electronic Logging Devices or ELDs were designed originally for enhancing the driver’s safety. By compliance, the drivers have to keep the device with them to ensure they follow the pre-existing rules. The logging time was previously done on papers by the drivers. ELD devices have been of great help to fleet managers. Introduced initially to keep up with the law, ELDs are now a crucial part of the fleet management system. With the advancements in the telematics system, the devices serve various purposes. An ELD brings numerous benefits for fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers.
If you do not have an ELD in your truck, consider installing one. There are many options of ELDs available in the market for various needs. Read on the following points to know how you can make an enormous impact with ELDs:-
1) It reduces fuel wastage:
One of the major concerns for fleet managers is to curb the ever-rising fuel costs. The ELDs help you reduce fuel wastage, thus saving you some money. With the device’s help, you can see the idle time of all the drivers. You can get information like which driver is idle for too long and who is not. Thus, you can save a lot of money by reducing fuel usage by tracking idle time.
2) It smoothens the administrative work:
Administrative work for a fleet management company is usually high and involves a lot of paperwork. At times not one person but a whole team is required to manage the admin work. But with an ELD, all this work is reduced to the bare minimum. You no longer have to worry about keeping a record of the service hours. It is done automatically in the device and stored for further usage. The device helps save time and effort of the fleet managers, which they usually take to get the work done.
3) It helps in diagnosing the vehicle thoroughly:
For a fleet management company, the car is an important asset. The device is connected automatically to the diagnostic part of the vehicle. Thus, you will get all the alerts related to the maintenance issues. It also provides detailed reports and real-time alerts. Detecting a recurring issue with the available reports makes it easier and faster to solve the problem. When you get alerted at the right time, taking precautions will reduce higher repairing costs.
4) It helps you in tracking the location and improves route management:
Monitoring a vehicle using a GPS tracker is possible through the ELDs. This feature of the ELD improves the driving quality as it minimizes distractions and gives real-time visibility to the managers. The fleet managers don’t have to call the drivers to get an update; they can check the ELD system.
The GPS helps the drivers by finding them the shortest way possible to any destination. Thus, the drivers can plan the perfect route for a timely delivery. Streamlined operations are successful through the system. Making everyone, including the drivers and managers, more productive is one of the advantages of monitoring and managing the routes. Fuel-saving is undeniably enormous, leading to higher profits.
5) It lowers your insurance premium:
Fleet management companies usually pay a lot of money for insurance premiums because of the high risk involved in transit. But with Electronic Logging Devices, insurance premium fees are significantly lowered. The rates provided by insurance companies are better for vehicles with ELD. Since the ELDs have GPS tracking, the chance of a vehicle being lost or stolen is lesser. Thus insurance companies offer insurance premiums at lower rates to vehicles with ELD.
6) It enhances safety:
The fleets that have ELD systems are comparatively safer than those that do not have them. According to various reports, the system has prevented many lives and injuries. Several accidents are avoided, with the system features like route management, identifying inappropriate driver behavior, fault in the code monitor, and other such features.
7) It results in higher profits:
Improving your profits is an advantage that the ELD system will give you. A fleet management company will only work if they make huge profits. Getting an electronic logging device will enhance the profits. You require less management staff when most of the management work is done by the device. Better insurance rates have a positive impact on the balance sheet. The driver retention rate increases when you have proper management. Additionally, with the help of idle-time tracking, better route management, less fuel wastage, a company can save on operational costs, thereby increasing the profits.
8) It helps in reducing liabilities:
There are many instances where accidents happen even if it’s not the driver’s fault. The company has to deal with many lawsuits very often. However, the companies can strengthen their case when the truck driver is not at fault. ELD comes in handy here with proof. The data collected on the system can act as a piece of evidence. If there was no violation of rules and no speeding, it only proves that the driver was not at fault. In case of such accidents, having an ELD system can make a huge difference and save your company from thousands of dollars of penalty.
Reading all these points, you can conclude that your company will only benefit from getting an Electronic Logging Device. You must not consider it an additional expense but an investment that will help you in the future.
