Could the FMCSA mandated ELD finally achieve the unity we have been looking for in this industry for years? At first glance, the mandate would seem only to divide our industry further. It seems as though we have associations and groups of drivers who are adamantly against the ELD mandate while others see it as a welcomed change.
With this being the case how can the ELD mandate bring unity?
The reason I believe the ELD can bring the industry together is there has always been a complaint amongst fleet owners, drivers, and owner-operators, that no one values our time. The ELD has pushed wasted time to the forefront of issues that must be dealt with to remain profitable. The problem of unproductive/wasted time affects everyone in the industry.
Now the issue of time affects dispatch, brokers, fleet owners, drivers, owner-operators as well as the shippers and receivers. The days of a driver making up for inadequacies throughout the transportation system are over. If there was ever a time when time and more importantly wasted time should be addressed would be now as nearly everyone in the transportation industry has some skin in the game.