For independent truckers, the purpose of trucking management software (TMS) is to keep the business organized. The purpose of the electronic logging device (ELD) is to track hours of service (HOS) and stay compliant. Is there a reason to have integrated TMS and ELD?
We can think of three.
1 Accurate Records Save Time
With an integrated TMS and ELD, shared data reduces the major problems with data entry. Instead of retyping and reentering data across the programs, the integration handles that data transfer.
This saves time by
- Reducing errors that stop customers from paying bills
- tracking locations when detention pay is contested
- tracking miles per state for precise IFTA filings and IRP reports.
Data from the ELD is a critical component in a trucking business. Without those numbers, it’s not analysis, it’s a guess
- how profitable a trucking company is (profit and loss)
- how profitable a load is (cost per load)
- how to select the right loads (cost per mile.)
Trucking company data analysis isn’t for the weak of heart, but with a reliable TMS, an independent trucker can take the deep dive into their own company and find the secrets that may turn around a mediocre company to a successful one. Using TruckingOffice’s Trucker Stats™, that data analysis can take seconds, not hours, to complete.
If you want to save time, using an integrated TMS like TruckingOffice PRO and TruckingOffice ELD can simplify many of the tasks an owner-operator must manage.
2 ELD Compliance
Integrated TMS and ELD gives a long-distance trucker up to date information. At a DOT inspection, a compliant E-log is necessary, of course. But the integration with a TMS allows the data from the ELD quickly and efficiently. Tracking HOS per day and remaining hours per week isn’t just about compliance – it’s about planning.
Knowing what the remaining hours on your clock
- focuses on what loads fit that time frame
- determines which load is better for the driver: short turn-arounds or longer distance, but a long rest break on the road
- matches fuel purchases with miles per state for IFTA reports.
Having the most accurate miles-per-state data from an ELD is far better than a guess by a trucker who forgot to note it manually in a log.
Using the TruckingOffice ELD with TruckingOffice PRO will help an owner-operator stay compliant while planning loads with greater confidence. If you need help to keep your hours, miles, and reporting organized, integrated software is a tool that can change.
3 Integrated TMS and ELD Speeds Up Business Management
In the past, owner operators followed the lead of larger trucking companies and collected receipts and records in an envelope (or worse, a shoebox) to take home. Once they were back in front of their desktop computer, they’d sort out the receipts to be sure that all the receipts, the BOLs, and the mileage records matched before sending out an invoice. That reduced billing to a monthly task. The problems with this?
- Paperwork lost at the beginning of the month is probably gone for good.
- Mileage logs may be incorrect – a single switched number will take hours to track down.
- Past-due invoices extend further if payment is delayed due to missing documentation.
With an integrated TMS and ELD, those missing logs are automatically backed up by the ELD. The records are stored inside the TMS system, eliminating the need for paper receipts.
Why wait for the end of the month when the billing cycle can begin in your rig?
TruckingOffice
TruckingOffice was one of the first TMS companies to integrate their ELD. Customers find that the time they saved and the elimination of the anxiety of lost records make the integrated TMS and ELD worth the money. Add to that the low costs of TruckingOffice PRO and ELD, and many truckers pay less than the cost of another TMS or a different ELD alone.
For the independent owner-operator, TruckingOffice is an option that’s worth consideration.
Contact us today for a free trial of TruckingOffice PRO and information on how to integrate TruckingOffice ELD.
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