DC Velocity - February 2018

BY BEN AMES, SENIOR EDITOR

FLEET MANAGEMENT
Technology

TRUCK OPERATORS ACROSS THE NATION SCRAMBLED IN December to install electronic logging devices (ELDs) ahead of a federal safety mandate requiring that virtually all trucks built after the year 2000 have the devices onboard. Regulators say the digital vehicle-monitoring equipment will enable more accurate accounting of time worked under federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations than was possible with paper logbooks, helping ensure that drivers get the rest they need and that roads are safer for all motorists.

Yet even as truckers begin familiarizing themselves with the new equipment, developers are at work creating next-generation devices that could change the way we think about ELDs. What they envision is a sophisticated multifunctional device whose capabilities extend far beyond simply tracking drivers to encompass a broad array of transportation and fleet management functions.

For instance, future ELD designs could incorporate features allowing trucks to communicate with remote software that can help prevent breakdowns, improve navigation, or locate backhaul loads, proponents say. Developers also envision models that would enable fleets to combine detailed information about individual drivers—such as their steering and braking habits—with precise information about the specific vehicle ( conveyed through engine telematics and other sensors) and then analyze the data through cloud-based platforms.

THE TRUCK BECOMES A ROLLING OFFICE

As for what will make this all possible, the key lies in connectivity. By connecting truck cabs to cloud computing, enhanced ELDs could access sophisticated software and vast databases that have previously been inaccessible from a moving vehicle. That capability could transform a truck from a simple means of conveyance into a sophisticated mobile office, said

You may think of the humble electronic logging device (ELD) as a tool for tracking truck drivers’ hours of service (HOS). But the technology’s developers have a much grander vision.