A no contract ELD is a compliant electronic logging device you pay for month to month, without committing to a long-term (often year-long) contract. For owner operators and new truckers, it means staying compliant with the ELD mandate without getting stuck with a contract you may not need.

When there’s no choice – you have to have an ELD – many truckers have been frustrated by the lack of choices. ELDs (electronic logging devices) are required for truckers – but the costs of the systems can be more than a new owner operator can afford. Between the cost of the equipment and then the monthly contract – compliance is too expensive. What many long-distance truckers are looking for is a No Contract ELD.

Beyond contract terms, consider integration: here are 3 reasons an integrated TMS and ELD work for independent truckers.

Do Compliant No Contract ELogs Exist?

Yes. Compliant no contract ELDs do exist: you can stay compliant with the ELD mandate and pay a low-cost monthly fee without signing a long-term contract. We did some googling around and found some reviews. One review compared a few stand-alone systems with a non-compliant ELD, which we admit we laughed at. Why would anyone use a non-compliant (and very expensive!) ELD?

Trying to find a no contract ELD is hard because the industry started with high-end products that needed to make a profit. The way to guarantee that was to get the truckers into contracts — regardless of the cost to smaller trucking companies that don’t have the overhead to cover the cost.

From the very beginning of the ELD mandate, TruckingOffice ELD planned to have a no contract option for its ELD. When a new trucker goes out on the road, it’s hard to commit to a year-long ELD contract when they’re not sure they will make it. TruckingOffice wanted to reach that trucker, supporting them with a low-cost monthly fee for a compliant E-log.

Big Company ELDs vs. Independent Owner Operator Needs

E-Logs and ELDs have been around since before the 2017 ELD mandate. Large fleet managers have always wanted more information about their truckers and the loads, such as locations of a load, how fast the trucks are moving, and if the trucks are where they’re supposed to be. Large transportation companies offered that information to their clients as a feature to entice them to use their company. But those systems are expensive – which is why the big companies could afford them but smaller companies couldn’t. Did an owner operator need a report to tell them where the load was – when it was directly behind them? Of course not. So why pay for that?

Then the ELD producers added some extra features. More extra bells and whistles cost more money – which raised the prices for the truckers. And to guarantee the income, contract prices went up too.

Owner Operators Need No Contract ELDs

Owner operators need no contract ELDs because what they need from an ELD is compliance, not the extra fleet-tracking features that push up prices and contract terms.

Because they don’t need bells and whistles? Because compliance is what they need.

There are some drivers who only haul freight during certain months. There are independent drivers who can’t afford the big prices.

Take control of your trucking business! Don’t get stuck in the wallet month after month. Check out TruckingOffice’s ELD. Our no-contract system uses your own equipment – smart phone or tablet. The installation process is simple. The vehicle interface device is inserted into the electronic control module port. Open the app and you’re ready to go.

No Contract ELD FAQ

What is a no contract ELD?

A no contract ELD is a compliant electronic logging device that you pay for with a low-cost monthly fee instead of committing to a long-term contract, such as the year-long agreements common in the ELD industry. You stay compliant with the ELD mandate without being locked in.

Why do most ELD providers require a contract?

The ELD industry started with high-end products built for large fleets that needed to make a profit, and contracts were the way to guarantee that income. As providers added extra features, prices went up, and contract prices went up with them, regardless of the cost to smaller trucking companies.

Who benefits most from a no contract ELD?

New owner operators benefit most, because it is hard to commit to a year-long ELD contract before you know your business will make it. Drivers who only haul freight during certain months and independent drivers who can’t afford big-company prices also benefit from paying month to month.

Do owner operators need fleet-tracking ELD features?

Most owner operators don’t. Large fleet managers pay for reports on load locations, truck speed and whether trucks are where they are supposed to be, but an owner operator already knows where the load is. What an owner operator needs from an ELD is compliance.

How does the TruckingOffice no contract ELD work?

TruckingOffice ELD is a no-contract system that uses your own smartphone or tablet. Installation is simple: insert the vehicle interface device into the electronic control module port, open the app, and you’re ready to go.

Are you ready to try the simplest no contract ELD?

Contact TruckingOffice for more information about the no contract ELD for your trucking business. When you figure out how much money you’ll save and stay compliant, you’ll never go back!