Switching over to be ELD compliant for your fleet may be a hard pill to swallow at first. Though mandatory by the law, the initial cost of an ELD may have you thinking it isn’t worth it, or you may prefer paper log books still.

However, being ELD compliant helps you in more ways than just staying within the law. There are benefits in regards to cost, safety, and time on the road as well.

If you’re wanting to learn more about why you should be ELD compliant, we’ve listed five of the biggest benefits of having ELDs for your fleet.

#1. No more wasting time and money

By eliminating the need for paper log books, truck drivers are going to see more money in their pockets. The FMCSA confirmed this in their Regulatory Impact Analysis that determined there would an estimated $2.44 billion saved by eliminating paper log books in lieu of ELDS. These savings can be broken down into:

• $1.68 billion saved by driver time completing logs
• $433 million saved from motor carriers handling logs
• $196 million saved in driver time spent submitting logs
• $126 million saved by drivers not buying logs

Furthermore, the FMCSA estimates that, on a person-by-person basis, drivers spend over 20 hours a year working to fill out paper log books and to send them to their carriers. Eliminating this time means more time that you’re able to spend on the road driving instead of focusing on paperwork.

#2. Keep yourself safe from lawsuits

While insurance works to piece together an accident, figuring out exactly who or what caused it, an ELD can be a way of having a clear picture of exactly what happened. ELDs record data before, during, and after an accident that can help to determine exactly how fast you were going and where you were located.

When the time comes to reconstruct an accident, you’ll be better equipped to defend yourself and to protect your driving history to keep your insurance from skyrocketing.

#3. Inspections will go faster

When using paper log books, it may take some time to do a roadside inspection. An officer will have to go through your RODS to determine if your HOS are within the guidelines. With ELDs, it’s as easy as opening an app on your phone or turning on a screen.

When all of the information for your HOS are standardized, you’ll find that inspections can be a breeze, getting you back on the road in no time.

#4. Have fewer violations

With paper log books you may have found yourself guilty of a form and manner violation. This could be for something as simple as a miscalculation of your hours, forgetting to fill out a certain form, or writing your hours in the wrong spot of your log book. Violations have a cost, and that cost adds up when you consider the time spent correcting them. ELDs benefit you because your information is there for you without having to fill anything out yourself.

You may also have found yourself going over your hours or forgetting to take a break by mistake. When using paper log books, you could find yourself going far past your allowed hours and earning yourself a big fine. ELDs make sure that you don’t make this error by warning you when it’s time to take a break or to quit running for the day, making you less likely to earn a costly violation.

#5. Stay safer on the road

When you’re not paying attention to the hours in your log book you can be running for long periods of time, exhausting yourself. This makes for an unsafe road for both you and everyone around you, as fatigued driving can easily cause an accident.

ELDs keep you accountable by warning you when you need to quit driving for the day, giving you plenty of time to rest and get ready to get back out on the road. This also helps to give you a better work-life balance, and lets you take time to decompress instead of risking your health by driving for 18 hours a day.

The FMCSA observed the benefit of ELDs in regards to safety in a study from 2014, which found that trucks with an ELD had a 12 percent lower crash rate and a 5 percent lower preventable crash rate than trucks not equipped with ELDs.

Are you wanting to know more about the benefits of equipping your fleet with ELDs?

Contact us at Pedigree and we can discuss how you can keep your fleet compliant with the law and the benefits you’ll see from doing so.