The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate for trucks went into effect five years ago. So unless you’ve been on the road more than five years, you’ve never driven a truck without an installed ELD. The ELD tracks the hours that a driver is driving the rig, but it’s up to the driver to make sure the records are correct.
So what’s the best ELD for owner operators? The one that’s easiest to use.
Owner Operators and the ELD
Whether you’re a brand new driver or one who’s been on the road for years, when you have your own rig, you have to have your own ELD device.
The ELD device for new owner operators can be pretty pricy. Some of the best known names – or the ones with ads at the top of a search engine when we look for Owner Operator ELD – are designed for companies with hundreds or thousands of vehicles on the road. The prices show it. These ELDs are full of bells and whistles that a big trucking company wants or needs. An owner operator with a single rig doesn’t need all those extras.
So why pay for them?
The best ELD for owner operators is affordable. It’s not like a TV in the rig or a fancy set of driving gloves. An ELD is a piece of required equipment for a semi-tractor trailer. If you can’t afford it, you can’t go out on the road.
Which is why TruckingOffice ELD has kept its prices at rock bottom. Our job is to support you as you get started on the road.
ELD and the Best IFTA
Measuring hours of service (HOS) of a driver came about because too many truckers were driving unsafely. In wrecks with trucks and cars, cars always lost. The sheer mass of a unloaded moving truck is far greater than the power of a car with a full trunk.
But that’s not all an ELD is good for.
Because of the FMSCA rules, all ELDs report on a regular basis
- what the odometer says and
- where the location of the truck is.
In other words, the most accurate recording of the details that the IFTA filing requires will come from the ELD.
And what’s best of all, it’s automatic. So if you’re like many truckers, getting the mileage per state is difficult either to remember or to record at that moment. The miles per state are recorded and accessible through the ELD as well as the HOS. The ELD is a multi-functional tool for the new owner operator.
So the best ELD for owner operators is one that will make getting the data for IFTA easy. The drawback to using only the ELD to compute an IFTA report is that an ELD won’t have access to the current tax rates per state or jurisdiction.
That’s the benefit of an integrated trucking management software with a compatible ELD. A well-maintained trucking software like TruckingOffice PRO will keep those tax rates updated every quarter.
ELD should mean Easy Logging Device
If the ELD installation and set up is complicated, or if the system is hard to use, then it’s a disaster. it’s a waste of money. The best ELD for new owner operators has to be easy to install. That’s basic.
The thing that most people struggle with isn’t the installations. It’s using it every day. Every ELD expects the trucker to accurately report the times they’re in the cab, the times they’re off the clock, and the hours they’re taking the required breaks. The record keeping has to be simple to use.
It’s critical to have the right ELD system. It doesn’t matter what else it does for you. Buying a compliant system that is hard to install or use is a waste of time.
TruckingOffice ELD for New Owner Operators
TruckingOffice started developing an ELD when the mandate was announced. Our ELD system has been in use for over 5 years now. We’ve integrated the numbers from the ELD into our trucking management software to create the most accurate IFTA and IRP reports.
Take a look at the best ELD for owner operators today and make the decision that you won’t regret for your new trucking business!
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