When I heard that the ELD mandate would allow for tech savvy drivers to adapt a tablet or phone to log their OOS, I was pretty excited at first that there would be a lower cost option than some of the much more expensive hard-wired units I had installed in previous trucks of mine. Although the features were nice that were offered with systems like Omnitracs and PeopleNet, which I had previously installed through companies I was leased on with, they were a bit overkill for my small operation. The part that I didn’t expect when it come to BYOD’s was the flood of “Prospectors” that would flood in on the “ELD Gold Rush”. With the leniency of self-certification that companies faced to have their devices approved and put on the FMCSA list, there were an almost un-countable number of the BYOD options that popped up seemingly overnight.
Having made the decision to try out the “no monthly fee” option of the now defunct One20 F-ELD, I braved the trail through their bumps in the road along the way of figuring out their app functionality. I was sad that once they finally seemed to have it down to functioning well, they announced they would no longer be providing service. I decided to give another company a whirl, stemming from an offer to contract each unit for two years, with only the first year being fee-free, but with an affordable annual fee for the second year. Unfortunately the experience I have had with the second unit manufacturer has been less than pleasant and after expressing my deep displeasure with their product and app support, they will be cancelling the contract and taking back the units. What seemed like a safe bet, being touted by reviews online as a well put together unit, turned out to be a device and app plagued with crashing issues and multiple bugs that would switch duty status randomly on its own. I drew the line on this unit when it decided to take me out of “off duty” status while at home sleeping in my bed and flipped me back onto “driving” several times, which might not have been the last straw, if their app support team didn’t take two days via “email only” to answer a response to my problem each time.
Now onto a bolder solution to handle the BYOD problem I have faced going with start-ups and no-name providers. I stumbled upon another unit called the ZED ELD, which boasts being backed by Cummins. It offers the IFTA tracking and fleet management I need, without a monthly fee. The equipment does have an upfront cost, but it was subsidized by the fact that they were offering a trade-in on my old One20 F-ELD units. I figure with a name backing them like Cummins, this would be a safer solution to the mandate than I had run across previously. I have been using it for a little time now and have to say that out of the three I have now tried, this one has the user-friendliest interface, which is both functional and visually appealing. I am hoping this third time will be “the charm” because if it isn’t, I have already decided the next step will be giving up on the BYOD units and moving on to the VDO Roadlog! Be wary of those still trying to cash in on the “ELD Gold Rush”, as you may find them a waste of time if you choose the wrong one!
