Free ELD sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it? What’s the problem with free?
Apparently, there were free ELD options in 2017. But they’re all gone now. And those so-called free ELD packages that you find on search engines now – they’re not free. In fact, they’re pretty pricy. Equipment, apps, service – those prices add up to a lot more than TruckingOffice ELD costs.
The Problem with Free ELD?
When a business and a developer create a product, that product will either be a stand-alone profitable piece of equipment that they can put on autopilot and abandon, or it will be something that they can support to get more profit from by charging customers down the line.
It’s like buying a DVD versus getting a streaming service. The publisher doesn’t get any more money from us once we buy the DVD. But for roughly the same price as a couple of DVDs per month, we can get a streaming service that will play as many movies as we want. That makes a lot of money for the producer.
So a free ELD sounds like a good thing, but it’s a dead end for the development team. They’re not making money from it, so why would they spend more time on it? That’s what happened in 2018. A year after the ELD mandate, some developers said, “bye-bye” and left the product unsupported. Since the ELD data is required to be kept for 4 years, that left a lot of owner-operators in the lurch when those ELDs went down.
Your Data
Since 2017, there have been changes in how the ELD works. Protecting the trucker’s privacy but still giving access to a law officer upon demand? Took some time, but it got worked out. There are still some wired ELD systems out there, but it looks like the Bluetooth versions have cornered the market.
That makes sense to us. A bring your own device system (BYOD) reduces costs by eliminating the need for another electronic device, especially one that only does one task. A system that links to a smartphone also allows the ELD to report its location, which permits location tracking without additional cost.
But your ELD data has other uses.
- It’s proof that a trucker sat in a loading dock long enough to qualify for detention pay.
- It’s the most accurate data to compute IFTA and IRP tax reports.
- In the case of an accident, it’s proof of what the trucker was doing.
(That’s why having an ELD that integrates directly with trucking software to manage a trucking business is so important.)
Smart people recognize that if you’re using an Internet or computer product for free, then you’re the product. Your data is their product. Your information is sold so that the developer makes more money.
So why are we talking about free ELD?
TruckingOffice ELD offers free ELD?
Yeah, that doesn’t make much sense that we’d spend about 200 words talking about how bad free ELDs are.
But we have an offer for you that you might want to consider that if it’s not free ELD, it’s about as low a price you can find for an FMSCA-compliant ELD.
There are two parts to a BYOD ELD system: the truck data reader called VID (vehicle interface device), and the software. Between them, they produce the data that truckers are required to save and present on demand during an audit or by a law officer.
Where’s that data going?
TruckingOffice ELD sends that data to our secure servers where it is available when you need it. If your phone ends up in a puddle, or your tablet falls out of your cab, onto the pavement, your data is still safe and ready for you.
Once a trucker activates TruckingOffice ELD, their data is securely stored and accessible.
Right now, TruckingOffice ELD is making a special offer.
Buy one year of TruckingOffice ELD services and get the truck data reader for free – a $125 value!
That’s right! The monthly price of $23 plus $125 for the truck data reader comes out to an annual price of over $400. By purchasing a one-contract at $240, you’ll save over $160! You can order today!
If it’s better for you to use TruckingOffice ELD on a monthly basis, then we’ll give you a discount on the truck data reader. Get 25% off when you order now!
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