ELD market leader TruckX has announced the introduction of a ruggedized wired ELD setup, offering it alongside the already successful bluetooth ELD product line, which has seen deployment across tens of thousands of trucks in North America.
Tapan Chaudhari, the founder and president of TruckX, spoke to FreightWaves to discuss the company’s reasoning behind developing a wired ELD system when the industry was moving toward bluetooth-based ELDs.
“TruckX already has a great bluetooth ELD offering that is very easy to install and works great for the drivers and trucking companies. However, trucking is not an easy job, and there are many variables on the road. In such a work environment, most of the regular tablets do not last long,” said Chaudhari. “Ruggedized form factor helps, especially in places where there are dust, heat and extreme cold — instances when trucks are parked overnight or days in an open environment.”
The wired ELD is hardwired within minutes in the cab, connected to the dashboard with a wire and four screws for mounting over a docking station that charges the tablet at all times. The ruggedized tablet can withstand high temperatures and is intuitive to use. The setup comes with a dual-network SIM card and is connected to the cloud.
“We have been in the business for four years now with thousands of trucking companies, be it small or large. What we have realized after talking with mid- to large-sized fleets is that they do not want wireless solutions, mainly because drivers are forced to call the back office for every small issue,” said Chaudhari. “This becomes an operational nightmare for the dispatchers and safety managers.”
Though wireless connectivity looks to be the technology-forward option, larger fleets equally care about ELD setups that do not require their drivers to call for constant support. Chaudhari explained that TruckX wired ELD setups fill this demand, mentioning that several fleets have become early adopters to leverage the high service levels, stable software and reliable ruggedized hardware.
The wired ELDs provide a dependable in-cab experience for drivers, recreating the same user interface they had with the TruckX bluetooth ELD solutions. The advantage, according to Chaudhari, is that the wired ones do not need bluetooth to connect as they are hardwired with the truck’s engine for 24/7 reliability.
“TruckX is the first major ELD company to have both bluetooth and wired ELD products in the market,” said Chaudhari. “Fleets that are stuck with legacy in-cab systems like Peoplenet and Omnitracs are now moving to TruckX with our wired ELD solution. Companies want the peace of mind that comes with an installed in-cab system, which works without any wireless connection.”
The early adopters of the wired ELD systems have had positive things to say about the solutions, said Chaudhari. “They love the form factor and that it is effortless to install. They get a modern system with a great user interface. The traditional wired ELD setups were never designed with drivers in mind. TruckX drivers are happy with our design, making the job of fleet managers and safety managers a lot easier.”
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