Since the ELD requirement went into effect, trucking companies have been looking for new ways to use technology to their advantage and technology OEMs have been jumping at the chance to provide them with tough and effective solutions that answer pressing business needs. One area that is seeing a lot of activity is the area of mobile electronic devices. And now ruggedized hardware is filling an important niche. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Trucking companies operate in a field that can be tough on equipment, especially sensitive electronic equipment. Trucks are constantly on the move, items get jostled around, and truck drivers are always climbing in and out of the cab. It simply is not an easy environment for electronics. With the ELD mandate in place, truck fleets are facing big challenges finding hardware tough enough to stay running in the face of heavy-duty trucking applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, companies are answering the call. One area\nwhere toughness has been an issue has been around screen-enabled devices and\ntablets. A decade ago, no one really thought too much about tablets in a\ntrucking application. Yet, since the ELD rule went into effect in 2017,\nregulated fleets must make lots of adjustments to how they monitor, track, and\nreport hours of service for their truck drivers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ELD Mandate and\nRODS Data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be wondering, \u201cBut what does the ELD mandate have to\ndo with tablets?\u201d Sure, the mandate requires the use of an electronic logging\ndevice that is not necessarily a tablet, but motor carriers must have the requisite\ntechnology needed to record hours of service as part of their daily record of\nduty status (RODS) updates. Not properly documenting this information, or\nhaving it handy, will result in fines and violations, and there are few and\nlimited exemptions to the rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last thing a motor carrier wants is to be put out of\nservice or given a hefty fine simply because they are not complying with the\nELD mandate. Even worse, motor carriers who are found to be habitually breaking\nthe rules may find themselves on the receiving end of an FMCSA audit, which is\nnever fun. Compliance<\/a>\nwith the rule requires that truck drivers provide either a printout or an\neasy-to-read display of their RODS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more, the rule also requires that truck drivers can\ntransfer their RODS data to an inspector via Bluetooth or a USB 2.0 connection.\nAlthough these seem like technical onerous requirements, failing to comply with\nthem will more than likely result in an unwanted violation. In fact, ask just\nabout any fleet manager and they will tell you that the biggest challenges that\na fleet faces where ELD implementation is concerned are the technical\nchallenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compounding the problem are providers that have entered the\nmarket but did not have the necessary experience to succeed in the\ntransportation sector. Sure, some of these companies had great engineers and\ntechnicians, but how much do they know about the intricacies of fleet\nmanagement? In some extreme cases, motor carriers have been left holding the\nviolations grab bag when their partner ELD company could not provide a level of\nservice to prevent them from getting hit when their device does not function\naccording to specification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There has been more than one case of ELD providers shutting down suddenly, leaving fleets scrambling as they try to find a new provider while remaining compliant. Fortunately, in many of these instances, other providers stepped in to fill the void and prevent carriers from suffering all-out collapse. It is important to keep in mind that fleets have eight days to repair or replace a malfunctioning ELD or insufficient provider. Even if it is the partner or vendor\u2019s fault, the motor carrier is responsible for handling it in an expeditious manner. Inspectors or auditors won\u2019t care if the company tries to lay blame on the ELD partner or vendor. In the eyes of a regulator, the buck stops at the motor carrier\u2019s front door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n [wp_ad_camp_2] \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, whether the company providing the device will be around for the, shall we say, \u201clong haul\u201d is just one consideration. Another consideration lies in the components that the equipment is constructed from. Is the display long-lasting and resistant to bouncing and jarring? Will the technical aspects of the tool meet compliance requirements without compromising on suitability and resiliency? <\/p>\n\n\n\n