HOS247 – An Industry Leader
HOS247 is an industry leader providing elogs apps for the transportation industry. There are many reasons why drivers and fleet managers choose HOS247 when in search of an Transport Canada electronic logging app solution. Benefits of doing so include:
- No contracts – No contract means no pressure to make a long-term commitment.
- Hassle Free 2-Week Returns – Business needs change. If for any reason a driver (or fleet manager) is not happy with the HOS247 electronic logging device (ELD) or elog app within the first two weeks of using it, they can return their ELD for a refund.
- Dedicated support managers – Every account is assigned a dedicated support manager who is committed to helping owner-operators and fleets get familiar with the software during implementation as well as throughout their contracts to help manage their logs and get the most out of their investment.
- Flexibility – Every carrier is different, and no matter what the size, HOS247 offers flexibility to choose the features they need most, whether an ELD, an electronic log app, GPS Tracking, IFTA mileage, dispatch features and more.
- Multilingual team – A multilingual team is available to accommodate drivers that speak English, Spanish, Russian, and Polish
- Compatible and accommodating – The HOS247 ELD and elog app work great with most 3G/4G smartphones and tablets. Customers can use their own, or purchase devices and data plans from HOS247.
The Canadian ELD Mandate: What is it?
The Canadian ELD mandate is rather straightforward. Essentially, it will require all company vehicles to use electronic logging devices to measure their work hours as well as vehicle usage. Currently, logs are kept through paper records or digital services which are out of date. That is one of the primary reasons why there is a push to move toward all-digital logs, meaning that all current forms of record keeping must no longer be used in favor of an electronic method that adheres to the new mandate. All of this is done to make sure that drivers are not being taken advantage of, in addition to ensuring that there is no logbook misinformation either. This mandate is not exclusive to Canada; in fact, it comes a couple years after a similar rule was established in the United States. The ELD mandate will be going into effect in Canada in the summer of 2021.
What is an ELD?
As the ELD mandate will begin affecting Canadians soon, it is important to know what exactly an ELD is. An ELD (electronic logging device), is a device that is programmed to log and record driver data, ensuring that information is accurate and properly saved. This technology is not inherently complicated, but when so many people will soon be relying on it for proper records, Transport Canada must take the steps to ensure that all ELD products are accurate and compliant. In Canada, ELD products will be produced differently than in the United States, because the devices must be approved by trusted third-party companies. It means that these organisations are capable of endorsing ELD products to be used by Canadian drivers.
Why Switch to a Better Electronic Log App?
An ideal electronic log app should have features that save drivers and fleet managers’ time and money. Those features should include log auditing, idle-time tracking, GPS tracking and IFTA calculation at a minimum in order to reduce operational costs.
An electronic driver log app should also offer features that boost safety, such as vehicle diagnostics that detect maintenance and safety issues before they become problematic, and driver scorecards to ensure drivers are following safe driving practices on the road.
Unfortunately, many drivers rushed to find an affordable ELD before the June 2021 deadline, with their main concern being Transport Canada compliant. Many of the so-called solutions ended up being unreliable, and some weren’t even compliant. Drivers and fleet managers complained that their devices were too complicated and there was sometimes no support from their service provider when they had questions.
If any of the following sound familiar, it might be time to change to a better elogs app:
- Non-existent, knowledgeable or difficult-to-reach support – No fleet wants their drivers stuck on the road without the ability to reach support should they have a question. Support should be available constantly, considering drivers’ varied schedules. In addition, the person on the other end should be reliable.
- Overly complicated operational tasks – Back-office tasks can be complicated enough without confusing matters more with an app that is difficult to use. Managing logs should be made much easier with an efficient electronic driver logs. It should take no more than a few taps to locate a previous day’s driver logs, see who’s available, and access HOS or violations within a given timeframe.
- Drivers don’t like the current app – If a driver doesn’t like their current elog app, they’re less likely to use it when required. This creates much larger concerns in terms of compliance and safety, not to mention the waste of money on an app that drivers aren’t even using.
- Hidden fees – If pricing for an ELD with accompanying elog app seems too good to be true, it probably is. Many providers tack on hidden fees after the commitment is made, such as for data packages, device activation and training. If pricing isn’t transparent upfront, there’s no reason to trust that ELD provider with your compliance needs.
- Newer, inexperienced providers – An inexperienced provider is likely still working out any kinks in their technology. Avoid providers entered the ELD scene after the mandate, as they are likely looking for a way to make money instead of providing a driver-centric solution for compliance with the mandate.
Who Is Affected by the Canadian ELD Mandate?
Although not every driver will be required to abide by the rules of the Canadian ELD Mandate, it is estimated that it will affect over 157,000 drivers who work for federally regulated carriers. That is due to the fact that the new mandate will apply to all carriers that provide transportation between provinces, as extra-provincial transportation is under federal jurisdiction. In contrast, carriers that operate solely within a province have their own provincial rules to follow, and they do not have to abide by the ELD Mandate.
That’s not to say, however, that provinces cannot follow suit and implement the same regulations provincially. Even provincial carriers should become somewhat familiar with the mandate in case provinces decide to model their regulations using the federal regulations listed in the ELD Mandate.
Canada ELD Mandate Exemptions
As mentioned earlier, not every driver will be required to follow the requirements of the Canadian Elog Mandate. As of now, it only applies to federally regulated drivers who operate between provinces. However, as per the Canada Gazette, there will be four main exemptions to the Canadian ELD Mandate. Commercial motor vehicles will not be expected to abide by the mandate if they:
- Operate with a permit granted by a territorial or provincial HOS director
- Have been granted a statutory exemption
- Are subject to a short-term rental agreement (a rental agreement that has terms that last fewer than 30 days)
- Operate a vehicle that was manufactured before the year 2000.
Note that these exemptions are subject to change, however, especially before the final deadline of June 12, 2021. Nonetheless, it is expected that they will, for the most part, remain the same.
What Other Features Does HOS247 Offer to Improve Your Operations in Addition to Electronic Log App?
As an industry leader, HOS247 offers a variety of solutions for transportation/logistics operations. Besides a multipurpose elogs app, HOS247 offers the following:
- GPS tracking – Plan effectively with real time GPS and HOS availability to help operations like planning, vehicle maintenance by using real-time location tracking and availability status.
- Monitor driver performance – Reviewing their details helps drivers improve, helps optimize routes, and keeps fleets safe.
- IFTA mileage reporting – Easily file IFTA reports and automate fuel-tax reporting without the need to calculate state mileage manually.
- Dispatch – The HOS247 dispatch features significantly improve daily processes for dispatchers. This includes making the coordinating of jobs easier and providing full visibility of jobs in progress. It also provides accurate historical records. Altogether, it makes dispatching much easier and increases jobs by helping fleet managers with the following:
- Assigning jobs – It only takes a matter of seconds to assign jobs. Just type in a customer’s name, and their address will be automatically filled in. Dispatchers can then find the closest driver and map their route.
- Monitoring job progress – Since jobs are sorted by progress with the dispatch feature, monitoring the progress of jobs is easy.
- Visualizing job locations – The interactive dispatch map helps dispatchers see real-time vehicle locations and how they relate to the locations of the day’s jobs.
- Providing optimal customer service – Instant access to information helps reduce stress for dispatchers and helps them access information more quickly. The result is seamless customer service and happier customers (and employees) altogether.
Overall, dispatch is intended to seamlessly fit into how a fleet operates and improve its everyday processes, which can boost business in return. Providing all that information and more proves an HOS247 elog app is vital to everyday trucking and other transportation operations.
I’ve co-founded, built and managed several transportation-related businesses. Now, I’m a founder and CEO of HOS247 – an AI Transportation Platform for trucking companies, freight brokers and other logistics operations. We are transitioning old-style operations to technology-advanced logistics entities and help them to grow their businesses. ELDs (electronic logging devices), fleet tracking and management 2.0 combined with AI-powered dispatch tools.
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