When starting a trucking business, there are a lot of moving parts for a trucking owner-operator to get in place first. (Yeah, pun intentional.) The question is: what’s first? It doesn’t matter which came first, the chicken or the egg. But it does matter in trucking that you get your equipment organized right away. As a new trucking owner operator, if you had to choose between ELD or trucking software, there’s definitely a right answer. (And the right answer might may solve both of your problems!)
What is ELD?
In 2017, the DOT deadline for the ELD Mandate went into effect. All trucks that met the requirements needed an electronic logging device (ELD).
An ELD is a monitoring device that tracks the movement of a truck. The trucker notes when they are off duty, on duty, or in the bunk. When there are two drivers, each driver must add their own name and track their own hours on the ELD.
The purpose of the ELD is to track the hours of service (HOS). The government regulates how many hours a trucker can drive per day or per week.
Here’s the deal with the ELD. You have to have one installed before you start your first trucking trip. So if you need to make a choice between ELD or trucking software, you have to pick the ELD.
Trucking Software aka TMS
No business is free of paperwork, and trucking has its fair share. We have to get paid, but we don’t get paid until we send the invoice. So how do we manage those invoices?
If you’re starting a trucking business, then how to manage the back end – you know – the money part – has to be on your radar. How do you create a dispatch, a routing, and an invoice? How do you track invoices, both current and past due? Expenses? Maintenance records? Driver drug test records?
Yep, like everyone else, software packages for trucking businesses can do everything and cost thousands of dollars per month or buy software that does one thing – such as IFTA.
it almost sounds like you have to make a choice, ELD or trucking software. But what if you could use both?
IFTA, IRP, ELD or Trucking Software?
The fact is, you can get software that works together to manage the critical details of you trucking company.
- You must track miles for Invoices. ✔️
- You must report miles for IFTA and IRP. ✔️
Therefore, you want the most reliable mileage numbers. Those come from an ELD.
- You need to manage your maintenance records, including items that are checked according to mileage, not time. ✔️
- Making sure you’re paid on time, and tracking late pays isn’t optional. ✔️
Why buy software that handles only a little piece of the action?
It might look like you’re saving money when you buy different programs to manage your trucking business software needs. Here’s the problem: It’s not just ELD or trucking software. It’s managing all the different parts without repeating the data entry steps.
Data entry is the key. You need to have the right numbers from the start. So every time you have re-enter data, you increase the chances of doing it wrong. You’re wasting time.
Truckers earn money by moving freight. Every moment that we have to stay off the road costs us money.
So a trucking management software (TMS) that manages all these details is not just an optional expense. It’s a vital part of building a successful trucking business. So instead of thinking you’re saving money by purchasing cheap separate programs, think about saving time to make more money.
TruckingOffice PRO trucking software and ELD combined is the system for a trucking business. You don’t have to choose. By using TruckingOffice PRO trucking software and the ELD together, you get the most efficient trucking management system. It reduces the amount of time to handle the business aspect. You can use it on the road, from your phone, tablet or laptop with wifi connections, or desktop back at home. Instead of waiting until you get home, you can send invoices while still parked at the dock.
Contact TruckingOffice today for more details about the entire TruckingOffice PRO and TruckingOffice ELD systems!
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