Dive Brief:

• US Automotive Logistics, a vehicle transport company, is testing a new electronic logging device (ELD) to chronicle truck and driver performance, hours and location – a technology developed by UK logistics software firm Car Delivery Network (CDN), the software firm announced August 5.
• The ELD, developed to help auto carriers meet new U.S. electronic hours-of-service reporting regulations, transmits the data to cloud servers. The devices also are intended to help dispatchers better manage fleets and drivers’ hours.
• The device uses Bluetooth to connect to a truck’s CAN bus (the system that allows a vehicle’s electronics to communicate to each other) and to the driver’s tablet. CDN says the ELD should improve visibility and efficiency and reduce paperwork.

Dive Insight:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in late 2015 announced a rule meant to improve highway safety by using technology to tighten commercial truck and bus drivers’ hours-of-service regulation compliance.

The rule requires use of ELDs and should result in a more than $1 billion annual net benefit, mostly by reducing industry’s paperwork. The regulation is also expected to save an average of 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries a year, according to the agency.

Yet the adoption of ELD by US Automotive Logistics also represents an industry trend towards the integration of Internet-of-Things software into daily operations. 

"This new technology provides an opportunity to change the way truck and driver data are used, improving efficiency while complying with the new regulations,"  said CDN co-founder and CTO Mike Thorby in a press release. "We believe there is huge value in connecting the truck, the driver, and the freight information, such as condition reports together, in real time, delivering increased visibility and control.”