Since the ELD mandate went into effect, fleets have been scrambling to simply make sure they are in compliance with the new law. While the ELD has leveled the playing field for trucking companies, fleets now need to move on from simply using ELDs for regulatory reasons and find other ways to get the most out of ELD adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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ELDs are tailor-made for multiple uses. Whether it be to\nbecome more productive and efficient, provide a greater level of safety or\neffectively migrate from an AOBRD to an ELD, fleets must be strategic on how\nthey approach ELD adoption and usage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fact is, the technology underpinning ELDs can provide\nmany benefits to fleets. They can help motor carriers stay safe and\ncompetitive. Even more, they can help fleets significantly reduce operating\ncosts. Motor carriers that focus solely on ELD compliance simply are not\ngetting the most out of the technology they have spent a lot of time and\ntreasure investing in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fleets most well positioned to take advantage of the new\nELD paradigm understand that robust devices can help them see greater\nfleet-wide fuel efficiency, higher truck driver productivity and overall\nengagement, and improved safety measures. Let\u2019s look at each of these measures\nin greater detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boosting Fuel\nEfficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is no great secret that fuel is the number one cost for\nlarge fleets. For most fleets fuel makes up 22\npercent of total operating costs<\/a>. And although fuel prices are lower than\nhistorical highs, the cost of fuel will still have a big impact on a fleet\u2019s\nbottom line. As fleets move towards greater sustainability, decreased fuel\nusage becomes as much about lowering a carbon footprint as it is about reducing\nfuel consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleets have many different options to decrease fuel-related\ncosts. Many of the most well-known methods of reducing fuel consumption include\nidle reduction, better route planning, and improving overall truck driver\nperformance. ELDs can have a measured impact on each of these factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider that idling burns up to one gallon of fuel per\nhour. One hour of idling per day equates to as much as 64,000 miles per year of\nengine wear. To put that in greater perspective, idling for just ten seconds\nwaste more fuel than restarting the engine. Most fleets have no method for\nmeasuring just how much idling is occurring across their fleet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELDs solve that problem. Advanced ELD solutions provide the\nability to monitor idle time and transmit data to fleet managers about which\ntruck drivers spend the most amount of time idling. Fleets can implement\nstart\/stop technologies in tandem with the watchful eye of the ELD. These\nsystems will shut the engine off when it would otherwise be running. Integrated\nwith telematics, these options serve as full end-to-end solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Improving fuel efficiency and cutting waste provides\nsignificant gains across the fleet. By learning just how much idling is taking\nplace, fleets can coach truck drivers, utilize new technologies, and create\ngoals and incentives to sweeten the fuel efficiency pot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Route\nManagement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Out-of-route miles represent up to 15 percent of a vehicles\noverall fuel consumption. That represents an unnecessary cost-per-mile of\n$1.59, which is no small amount. Of course, there is no way to completely\nprevent out-of-route miles, but better route planning can at least reduce\nunplanned miles and fuel expenditures. So, where does the ELD come in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, some ELD providers offer integrated routing software.\nWith automated routing, the ELD suggests routes for new customers, follows\ntraffic conditions, and demonstrates a measurable impact on a truck driver\u2019s\nservice time. All the dispatcher or truck driver needs to do is plug in the\nroute to see whether the current trajectory is the right one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For truck drivers that keep similar routes, sometimes the\nroute changes based on the customer\u2019s order. Routing software finds the best\npath and the lowest cost for delivery. The network can sometimes be very vast and\nthe routes plenty. Automated routing provided through an advanced ELD solution\nworks at computerized speed to help fleets realize new efficiencies and prevent\ntruck drivers from spending unnecessary time on wasteful routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Measuring Truck\nDriver Performance <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It is in every fleet\u2019s best interest to provide coaching to\ntruck drivers on how to better save fuel. Knowing the key metrics that they\nshould speak to, however, can be a daunting task. Advanced ELD applications\nwill often provide data, analytics, and applications that fleets can use to\nmeasure and compare truck driver performance and behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being able to measure and make use of the data provides motor carriers with a way to incentivize better performance and provide coaching opportunities for those performing at the bottom. ELD devices offer tangible ways to improve truck driver performance and thus see real improvement in everything from safety measures to fuel consumption and even truck driver morale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELD applications provide truck driver and unit scorecards,\nwhich fleet managers can use to check on everything from over-speeding to shift\npatterns and so much more. By default, this leads to greater fuel optimization\nand improved performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleet managers can identify these markers and segment the\nhabits on an interactive dashboard, providing truck drivers with the ability to\nsee how they are doing in real-time. The data helps root out bad driving habits\nand reinforce good ones. The data provided by ELDs can also be used to create\nbetter recruitment, retention and training programs, across the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELDs for Greater\nProductivity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond just measuring performance, ELD usage can play a big\nrole in increasing truck driver productivity and engagement. Truck drivers of\ntoday wear many hats. Their responsibilities extend beyond truck driving, with\nmany having to handle basic maintenance needs, data entry, and other out-of-cab\ntasks and regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it is beneficial for any motor carrier to reduce the\namount of out-of-cab activities that a truck driver must perform, they cannot\nalways be eliminated entirely. Vehicle Inspection Reports and signature capture\nneeds to happen outside of the cab. Still, just because these processes cannot\nbe eliminated does not mean they cannot be made easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELDs can help to streamline these processes, allow for\nelectronic vehicle inspections, signature captures, and other tasks that can\neliminate unnecessary paperwork. This frees up truck drivers from unnecessary\nburden and increases the overall level of efficiency in fleet work. It also\nhelps improve a truck drivers\u2019 workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is, anything that helps truck drivers spend more\ntime on their core job, as opposed to completing a bunch of administrative\ntasks, is a value-add for fleets. Truck driver workflow is one such example.\nTruck driver workflow allows fleets to automate cumbersome truck driver tasks.\nThis, in turn, helps to reduce human error and increase both fleet and truck\ndriver productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truck driver productivity is not the only unit of\nmeasurement impacted by ELD use. Vehicle productivity can also see measurable\ngains from ELD technology. Fleet maintenance represents another large cost for\nfleets. Commercial motor vehicles undergo a lot of wear-and-tear, poor roads,\nand bad weather conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELDs can help ensure tractors stay in optimal shape when\nthey are on the road and away for long periods of time. Fault monitoring\napplications can provide fleet technicians and managers with real-time\nnotifications, and a high level of insight in the event that a fault or\nbreakdown occurs. Fleets can then quickly diagnose and rectify problems long\nbefore they become too severe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ELD fault codes go hand-in-hand with critical event\nreporting, which is a tool that fleet managers can use to see if there is a\nrisk before that risk becomes a problem. Onboard sensors give fleets quick\ninsight into critical event reporting and provides valuable data into things\nlike hard braking, follow time violations, abrupt lane changes, or forward\ncollisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Motor carriers that utilize in-cab video solutions can\nintegrate critical reporting with their ELD. Integrated video solutions are an\nexcellent way to document and show on-road behaviors, mitigate loss when an\naccident occurs, and offer effective coaching to truck drivers. Since ELDs can\nbe combined with video and telematics\ntechnologies<\/a>, fleets get far more use out of them than if they were\noperating them just to remain compliant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, compliance is important. Fleets must handle IFTA\nreporting and they have enough to worry about without dealing with an IFTA\naudit. In order to remain in compliance with IFTA record-keeping requirements,\nand accurately track IVMRs, fleets can rely on ELD applications. Using the ELD\nfor these measures saves fleets both time and frustration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Motor carriers today face enough challenges. From increasing the truck driver experience to reducing waste and improving efficiency, ELDs provide themselves as a one-stop-shop technological solution. Rather than using an ELD for just one task, why not implement a solution that provides greater control and measurability over fleet operations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fleets must look at what they want to accomplish out of ELD\nuse beyond simple compliance. With ELDs offering a ton of different\napplications to help fleets increase truck driver engagement, improve fuel\nefficiency and operate safely, there really is no reason not to jump in\nhead-first.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"