Lose weight. Read more books. Learn how to play the guitar. For some people, it’s tradition to come up with a few New Year’s resolutions at the beginning the year, taking advantage of the opportunity to flip over the next page in their calendar and start fresh. It’s an admirable practice since it helps people prioritize and focus on what’s important to them and what they want to accomplish over the next twelve months.
With the ELD mandate now in effect, fleet managers may want to consider adding three resolutions to their personal resolutions list. Even though we’re in a time that may be considered the “soft enforcement” period (until April), it doesn’t mean all the work is done. Whether your fleet is still getting used to its new ELDs, looking to replace AOBRDS or even still trying to figure out the best compliance solution for its specific needs, these three resolutions will help fleet managers get 2018 off to a good start (and keep it that way for the rest of the year)!
Resolution 1: I will focus on training for operators and drivers. Tools are only as good as the people who use them, and ELDs are an investment. The missing piece to compliance for a lot of fleets is ensuring that anyone behind the wheel understands and knows how their ELDs work. After all, if their ELD fails while on the road, the FMCSA states that a driver will need to be able to share their current day and previous seven days’ worth of logs if requested by an inspector. Truly knowing how their on-board device functions will help a driver prepare for (and maybe avoid) a potential technology failure and teach them how to react if there is a problem. Fleet managers should work closely with their ELD vendor to create a targeted curriculum for drivers and make sure they clearly communicate basic trouble shooting practices and understanding of how the device function. You should also take into account the familiarity or comfort level your drivers have with hardware to make sure the guides don’t go too slow or aren’t too complicated.
Resolution 2: I will take advantage of all that my ELD can offer. This seems like an obvious one but ELDs won’t just help businesses stay compliant, they can also help make processes more efficient, identify cost savings and – most importantly, keep drivers safe. According to the FMCSA, using an ELD will help drivers save up to $705 a year in just paperwork alone. This also translates to 15 minutes more time on the road each day, since that’s the amount of time drivers can spend on manually tracking their hours. Also, ELDs can help fleet managers decrease fuel costs, reduce truck downtime and even lower the potential for injuries – all because these devices help track certain types of information about the vehicle, including if a driver is at their exhaustion point. Again, talking to your ELD vendor to ensure you truly understand how a solution works is fundamental to reaching its full potential for your business and your drivers.
Resolution 3: I will not settle for less with my ELD solution. Ever since the FMCSA announced the ELD rule, there’s been a sudden flood of new businesses offering ELD solutions. Some of these vendors have offered everything and anything to entice customers (like ELD solutions managed via iPhones), self-certifying themselves in an attempt to capture businesses during the rush to become ELD compliant. While many of these companies may have good ELD solutions, some simply don’t have the expertise and experience needed to truly know how fleets work and what they need in an ELD. If you’re still in the market for an ELD, then you have time to do some deep digging. Before making a decision make sure you know how long a potential vendor has been in the industry, what they know about compliance and fleet management, and what customer service (including training and technology support) they offer. Choosing an ELD vendor means you’re not only investing in hardware and software, but also in a long-term relationship with customer service. If anything sounds fishy or you can’t get a straight answer, then trust your intuition. After all, going with a vendor that you don’t completely trust will eventually lead to ELD rebound – meaning you’re left scrambling to stay compliant and paying out more to make sure you have a quality ELD!
Whether you’re planning to learn a new language or travel more or lose a few extra pounds, resolutions can take any shape or form towards self-improvement, so why not include some resolutions that will help your business as well? By committing to these three resolutions, you won’t be caught off guard next year when everyone needs to be ELD compliant.
