Electronic Log Device (ELD) Mandate is the New Y2K

Don’t wait until it’s too late

The year was 1999, and a technology disaster known as Y2K or the Millennium bug was causing mass panic. A lot of people and companies were either spending or getting paid an exorbitant amount of money to prepare for and resolve the supposed impending disaster. It is estimated to have cost companies and government agencies between $300–600 billion.

Furthermore, the lack of technical understanding surrounding the issue among lay persons allowed far too many so-called experts to take advantage of vulnerable victims with outrageous hourly rates and grossly padded expenses. Looking back, the Y2K scare was just that — a scare. For the most part it all turned out to be fine: computers handled the date change to the new ’00 year format, and the free market economy kept humming along.

Being a technology veteran but relatively new to the trucking industry, I have begun noticing distinct similarities between the Y2K phenomenon of yester-year and the impending Electronic Logging Device (ELD) regulation (all 516 pages of it) and compliance deadline that looms ahead of us on December 18, 2017. These similarities include three main issues that honestly have more to do with human nature than addressing and solving the problem itself:

• Denial and defiance — People told me on multiple occasions they have not put a single ounce of effort into thinking about ELD and don’t give “a darn” about the government regulations or how ELD will affect their business. Many have stated they will do something about it when they are forced to. In short, they are too busy for it to be a priority. From my conversations with people over the past two months and time spent with owner operators at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) and elsewhere, the majority of people have dug in their heels and refused to move. Holding firm, they are playing the waiting game while technology matures and other companies develop more robust product offerings. They are betting that the government changes either the compliance dates, rules or both.
• Making a buck — Just like in 1999, there was widespread panic and hype spread by people looking to separate businesses from their money. Even though it was a legitimate concern, the amount of experts that came out of the woodwork was astounding. Likewise, the ELD market is already flooded with product choices: some with very strong technology, user interface design and features, while some choices leave much to be desired. Be sure to look at all the features in-depth and see what makes sense for you. Think about your business a year from now. How about in three years? Will you need features in the future that make investing in a particular offering worthwhile today? What about data limits or real-time connectivity and communication? Make sure to future proof as best as possible.
• Panic — I don’t think anyone has entered this phase yet, but it will happen for many small and medium sized fleets the closer we get to the 2017 compliance date. The big companies are handling the issues a little differently for obvious reasons, such as implementation effort and deployment schedules. However, there are a few people who are anxious to get ahead of the regulations, become familiar with product options in the market and slowly introduce this new technology to their drivers. However, I have a feeling the vast majority will be like last-minute shoppers who are forced to buy the only product left on the shelf the night before Christmas.

The key lesson people should learn from 16 years ago is that waiting too long to become educated is never a good idea when it comes to industry-wide changes involving technology and regulations.

It’s not all bad news surrounding ELD, though. This is a tremendous opportunity for the trucking industry to allow emerging technology to help transform the way we all do business, including becoming more efficient, data rich and intelligent in how we run our fleets. Some ELD platforms are offering incredible software features such as complete mobile/tablet device compatibility, plug-n-play setup, fleet communications, route planning, accident reporting, vehicle diagnostics and many other well thought-out and designed utilities — all for price points that previously were only available on very expensive and archaic enterprise systems. Whether you are an owner-operator or run a 100+ vehicle fleet, take your time to start learning the technology and compliance rules, and evaluate all the options on the market.

At Pilot Flying J, we are providing drivers with as much ELD education as possible. The ELD solution you choose will become an integral part of your business and drivers’ lives. We will do everything in our power to research, test and offer the best products at our travel centers. After all, we want you to make the right decision for your business, too.

Personally, I always have taken ample time to research big technology purchases in my life; “buy once, cry once” is my motto. ELD should be one of those decisions and is not something you are going to want to replace and change multiple times after compliance becomes mandatory. I hope the trucking industry and its drivers do not repeat the past mistakes of many banks and manufacturers. Let’s instead learn from Y2K and not wait until it is too late to save valuable time, effort and money.

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