Have you been happy with your ELD provider, or have they left you hanging? If things have not gone as well as you’d hoped, it may be best to make the switch and move forward with a better solution. ELDs are a big investment, and when things go right they can lower your costs and increase your efficiency. However, getting stuck with the wrong provider can lead to frustration, wasted time, and unnecessary expenses.
Here are five signs that you’re likely better off switching ELD providers rather than sticking with an underperforming one:
1. Support is Unavailable
If you’ve found that your current provider has been consistently poor (or even MIA) in the support department, it may be time to find a new ELD provider.
When you’ve got a problem, you don’t want to talk to a robot or wait all day for them to return your messages. You want to talk to an actual person who realizes that you’ve got better things to do than troubleshoot ELD issues.
Look for a provider that offers evening and weekend support, lets you talk to a real person, and is prompt and professional in addressing your issues. At Pedigree Technologies, our support team is knowledgeable about HOS (Hours of Service) rules and has hands-on experience with the devices you’re using.
2. Clunky Interface
Any new process or technology is going to take some getting used to, so you expected a bit of a learning curve when you first trained your drivers. However, if you’ve been at it for a while and are continuously frustrated by how difficult and not user-friendly your current ELD is, it might be time for a change.
If your drivers are having to struggle with a clunky interface with poor navigation and confusing features, you’re better off finding something new. You want to find something that is intuitive, does what it is supposed to, and is designed with the end user in mind. Bells and whistles might look nice, but at the end of the day you’ve got a job to do and you need your ELD to do its job, too.
Keep your drivers happy and give them an ELD that’s easy to use and lets them stay focused on the road ahead.
3. Lack of Training
No matter how intuitive your chosen solution is, you are still going to need training on how to use it and how to train your team. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. If you chose an ELD provider and then waited weeks to hear back from an onboarding team, that’s a giant red flag.
Another red flag? Not being given the resources you need to get your drivers and other employees up to speed on using the system. You want a provider that equips you to turn around and train others without having to create your own materials from scratch.
Also, beware of any provider that is ready and willing to train you or your drivers on how their platform can be used to skirt ELD regulations. Yes, their solution might be capable of getting around some of the more restrictive rules, but in the long run you’ll definitely regret not following FMCSA regulations regarding ELDs. It’s just not worth risking fines and time off the road.
When it comes to any technology provider, you want to partner with a company that makes its onboarding process clear, takes the time to train your team, and is available to answer your questions every step of the way. Always be sure to ask about training when you’re evaluating a new (or current) ELD provider.
4. Too Much Downtime
Whether it’s a driver’s app that takes forever to load, hardware that clocks out halfway through the day, or back-end technology that’s constantly “down for scheduled maintenance,” you don’t have time to wait on your ELDs to work properly.
The phrase “time is money” became a cliché because it’s true. Downtime costs money. If your current ELD provider has a poor track record of keeping things up and running, you’re going to want to evaluate new options.
When you do, put a high priority on partnering with a company that has near-100% uptime.
5. No Room for Growth
We get it — you brought on ELDs because you had to. Maybe, at least “for now,” you started out with the cheapest solution or the one that could make your fleet compliant as fast as possible.
Now that the regulatory dust has started to settle and enforcement is in full force, you might be wishing that your ELD provider was capable of more than just electronic logging. This same technology, like our ELD Chrome solution and OneView suite, can be utilized to help you track trailers, monitor equipment, and even dispatch your drivers and provide them with turn-by-turn navigation.
With a solution like OneView, you can get all of these solutions – and more – up and running on a single platform. No matter how big your operation grows, a partner with robust telematics solutions will set you on a path towards growth and grow right alongside you.
Conclusion
Is it time for you to make a switch? Reach out to one of our experts and see how OneView can work for you. The transition may be less daunting than you think, and in the long run you’re going to be in a much better position to move your company forward.