Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/893962
36 | Overdrive | October 2017 THE RIGHT PRICE With BIT, he's eliminated those fees and also mitigated an issue he saw with BigRoad and BYOD ELD competitor KeepTruckin. "They don't leave things simple" when it comes to the driver's naviga- tion upon making changes, in Spencer's view. "My partner's 72 years old, almost done [trucking]. I'm 47. One of our [Ohio] drivers is 58 or 59, one is 68. I've got older drivers who can't stand change and technology." With brothers Mike and Chris Riegel of Blue Ink, Spencer believes he's found a company committed to simplicity. "I said, 'If you're going to make changes, leave the old version, or have the option to leave the screens as they sit. I cannot deal with lots of changes with these guys who just don't want to deal with technology.' " Spencer pro- posed a fix, and they accom- modated that and other sug- gestions, he says. All of the companies fea- tured in the chart on page 36 Blue Ink Technology BIT ELD BYOD | Android, iOS $295 IFTA, fault code reading, maintenance features avail- able Yes Order through company website; ships in as few as two days BlueInkTech. com Continental VDO RoadLog Dedicated unit $700, or $0 with lease Built-in printer, real-time data transfer, fuel use, engine diagnos- tics, driver scorecard, integrated dispatch Yes Major truck dealers and aftermarket parts suppliers stock the unit; see website for online ordering VDORoadLog. com Garmin eLog Garmin eLog BYOD | An- droid, iOS (also compatible with dezl GPS navigators) $250 IFTA, local transfer of logs via USB/ Bluetooth during inspections, in- device storage, quick-glance compliance No Available via most major electron- ics and other retailers serviced by Garmin distributors Garmin.com One20 F-ELD BYOD | Android, iOS $170 Base func- tionality for logs and DVIR, roadside mode password- protected Yes Order via the company website or a network of retailers, in- cluding major truck stops One20.com/ ELD Zed Connect Zed ELD BYOD | Android, iOS $200 Route management, fleet dashboard Yes Order via the website, or purchase at locations affiliated with Cummins of Pana-Pacific Zed-ELD.com Provider Device Name Type of Device Initial cost Other capabilities beyond logs On FMCSA registry? Availability Find more info ELDs with no monthly fees Each of these providers offers ELD software and hardware for a one-time fee with no follow-on monthly costs. All come with a standard one-year warranty. For the BYOD devices, a caveat is the need for cellular services on the phone or tablet paired with the ECM plug-in device. Garmin reported its FMCSA ELD registry certification was in process at press time. Carriers' most important ELD selection criteria Lowest cost 33% Compliance certification 22% ELD type (mobile v. hardware) 20% Pricing model (buy v. lease) 10% Automated IFTA reporting 15% 33% 22% 20% 10% 15% More carriers cite low cost over any other factor in choosing an ELD. Source: 2016 Comdata survey