at high risk of a breakdown, the fleet manager could then
instruct the driver to visit the closest mechanic before expensive damage could occur, Ellis said.
Another way that ELDs may help fleets cut costs is by
recording drivers’ behavior on the road, with an eye toward
curbing bad—read: costly—habits, he said. As for how that
might work, Ellis offers this example: “If you can identify a
guy who’s driving with hard braking or rapid acceleration,
then you know he could manage his miles per gallon (mpg)
more efficiently. Guess what happens when you pound the
pedal to the floor? You burn through your fuel. But if you
can move a guy from 5. 5 to 6 mpg, that’s a huge impact to
the bottom line.”
SHAKEOUT AHEAD?
Technology providers are already at work adding new
hardware and software features that would enable these
new applications, with vendors launching dozens of new
ELD models in recent months, said Thayne Boren, general
manager of the mobile division at Truckstop.com, the New
Plymouth, Idaho-based loadboard provider. The firm has
created a marketplace that matches drivers, carriers, and
fleets with the right ELD supplier for their needs.
Many ELD vendors sell a range of products, from basic
models designed to be affordable for small fleets and own-er-operators to more expensive devices with added functionality, intended for trucking lines with more sophisticated
information technology needs, he said. In total, the ELD
market currently has an estimated 150 different vendors
selling more than 190 models, he said.
But Boren thinks that’s about to change. He predicts the
marketplace will undergo a restructuring in the coming
months, as weaker players start dropping out and others
join forces through mergers or acquisitions. “I see a lot of
consolidation happening,” he said. “You could probably
divide that [number of providers] by four over the next 24
months.”
The market will also evolve in response to external fac-
tors such as the ongoing upgrade from 3G to 4G cellular
networks, Boren said. With access to greater wireless band-
width, ELDs will be able to transmit far more data, which
will encourage users to connect their ELDs to a wider range
of peripheral devices and sensors.
OUT WITH THE OLD
Originally designed to perform the simple task of recording drivers’ hours behind the wheel, ELDs are on track to
evolve quickly over the next few years, driven by trucking
fleets’ relentless search for ways to cut costs and improve
performance. The devices could soon assume a central role
in recording, analyzing, and improving the smallest details
of transportation operations.
“There is diversity and confusion in the market today, but
ELDs will eventually consolidate a lot of technologies and
improve archaic ways of doing things,” Boren said.
