3 ELD Myths Worrying Carriers Most
After speaking with a number of carriers, the sentiments are almost unanimous when it comes to resisting the implementation of ELDs to monitor driver hours of service. And, we’re here with a gentle reminder that December 18 is the FMCSA’s deadline for the mandated industry-wide transition to electronic logging devices.
So, why the resistance? We debunk three main ELD concerns from fleet owners:
1. “ELDs are way too expensive and require too many man-hours to install and implement.”
Not true. After a little research you’ll find there are several reasonably-priced systems on the market that are relatively straightforward to implement. As with all systems, there is a learning curve, but that’s what system reps are for. Once you purchase a system, be sure to have your whole team present when your rep comes by to demo it. User manuals and ongoing training are a necessary evil no matter what system you implement.
2. “An ELD won’t make us more efficient. It will just create more work for us and cost us more money.”
It’s true that ELDs will require fleets to make changes in scheduling. But, it’s all in the name of efficiency. Keep it simple and stick to making changes that you know will make a big impact right off the bat. For example, analyzing the hours worked for each driver so that you can easily shuffle the ones that have hours available so that they can complete trips for drivers that don’t have any hours left. Also, this is a great opportunity for you to work more closely with your customers on scheduling, which shows them your commitment to providing top notch service. ELDs can help you avoid basic mistakes like over-dispatching your drivers and missing overly-tight delivery deadlines.
3. “My drivers are going to quit because they won’t want to have to learn a whole new e-log system.”
From what we’ve seen so far, the drivers that do quit are the ones who weren’t going to operate compliantly regardless of whether you were using e-logs or paper logs. We’re sure you’re familiar with this type of driver. So, the real question we would want to ask is: Would you really want them on your fleet anyways? In our opinion, we would want a team player — not a liability. Also, keep in mind that once your drivers get properly trained and learn the new e-log system, they’ll realize how easy it is to do. Compare this with manual tracking using a pen and paper and you’ll find that your drivers will eventually prefer electronic logging.
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