There are more complicated decisions that we have to make in starting a trucking company. Trucking businesses have many moving pieces and, yeah, I did make the pun. You need ELD and IFTA software. But if there’s one solution to three (or four) problems, wouldn’t you want to know?
ELD and IFTA together? You want to know. You need to know!
ELD Mandate
The 2017 ELD mandate required all trucks that met the specs install an electronic logging device system (ELD) to track the movement of the vehicle. The hours of service (HOS) limitations for truck drivers had to be tracks and this was the government’s solution.
The first decision a new trucking company has is to select an ELD system. It’s not optional. It has to
- meet the specs
- log events, track the odometer, and the location of the vehicle
- usable by the driver
- have a report function
- save data for a specific amount of time.
There have been several systems that came out in 2017 but aren’t around any more. Those customers had to find new ELDs with maybe not a lot of notice.
Building an ELD and IFTA that work together is ideal. When they work together, it saves a lot of time and money.
ELD and IFTA Miles
Every quarter, truckers have pay the International Fuel Tax (IFTA) based on the miles per state covered in the past three months. Since the ELD tracks these details, it makes sense to reuse that data to compute the due IFTA fuel taxes.
Remembering to track an odometer reading at the state lines is a challenge that can be a distraction for a driver. If the ELD is noting it… why shouldn’t we use that accurate method to compute IFTA?
You can use the mileage from the ELD – if it will give it to you per state. And it’s just as likely that the ELD won’t have the current IFTA tax rates per state or jurisdiction. So there’s still a lot of math to prepare the IFTA using the ELD data.
ELD and IFTA Trucking Software
If you have to use an ELD and you have to file IFTA, what if
YOU CAN USE ONE SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT MANAGES BOTH?
Sorry about the shouting, but there’s a lot of noise about IFTA this month.
Here’s the deal. Not all ELD systems work with a complete trucking software system. Most ELDs are stand-alone applications that link to the hardware installed in your truck. In order to use the data from your ELD, you’ll have to upload it to an IFTA calculator – another freestanding program on your phone or computer.
Every time you have to transfer numbers from one system to another, you open yourself up to the opportunity to mess up. To transpose numbers. To forget a line on the report and miss critical information.
Use TruckingOffice PRO and TruckingOffice ELD to handle all of it.
TruckingOffice PRO with PC*Miler handles
- dispatches and routings
- invoices
- IFTA
- IRP
- ELD data
and much more! Instead of a bunch of independent apps and programs, you can pay far less for a program that will manage your ELD and IFTA and more.
Check us out for your trucking business needs and spare yourself the hassle of paying for separate programs. Don’t pay for programs that steal your time! Use the software that works for you!
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