eld

Garmin doesn't "tap into" anything. DOT either comes up with a secure USB, Bluetooth device, or they view it on the display.

 

Having the data in the cloud isn't too bad. You can always ask the provider about their retention policies. Several providers have a 6 months (or so - a small extra margin in the 5-10% ballpark) policy. That's enough for you to comply with a DOT/MOT audit, but not enough to get you in trouble. Auditors can ask for older data if they reasonably believe that you have it. I don't need to tell you what'll happen if they find violations in it. It's always best to give them the bare minimum.

A reputable ELD provider doesn't have any motivation to keep the data any longer than the bare legal minimum. Storage costs money and if they sold the data to a third party, they'd face lawsuits and an unrecoverable hit to their reputation when the word gets out.

 

That's the problem, though. When a 3rd party is storing the data for you, THEY have 100% control over that data. They can hang onto it longer than required. They might "accidently" dump it prematurely. They might share it. They might not. They could get hacked...and the more data that's stored there, the more enticing a target it becomes...which is why your home PC isn't a high profile target for hackers. They want the single hack that gives them millions of people's info...which that cloud server now contains. If they are issued a subpoena for the data, they'll more likely than not hand over the data requested...whereas YOU might decide to fight that subpoena and challenge the need for the party requesting the data to actually get their hands on it...and while that all plays out, YOU are the sole person with access to that info. Nobody can do an end-run around you to get it.

Maybe it's just me, but I like to be in control of as much of my data as I possibly can.

 

Don't get me wrong.. I get your point and it's quite valid. I try to stay away from cloud storage for my personal data and rely on a combination of incremental backups to my NAS and also frequent backups of my more important personal data to a USB hard drive. I came into this industry from an IT background, both as a hobbyist and on the job.

Now, think of your typical o/o or even most owners of fleets that don't go north of 20 power units. Quite a few fleets in the 1-20 power unit range would be lucky to have an IT department consisting of the owner's high school student nephew. Even finding someone to change a few browser settings would be difficult and don't get me started on them keeping 6 months' worth of logs safe from data loss, unauthorised access or overrention.

Yes, cloud providers get hacked. Also, some companies whose scruples could be brought into question can collect more data than you agreed to and sell it to third parties. Facebook is a good example. Yes, there may even be some data losses, but unless the owner and/or office staff know exactly what they're doing, the data's safer with a company that lives and dies by your data.

I'd still be careful in choosing a cloud provider. I wouldn't pick a complete no-name outfit that just decided to cash in on the ELD mandate. I also wouldn't trust a company whose primary business model is something else, but they decided to branch out into ELD's while they're at it. A major data cluster**** would hurt them but wouldn't kill them. I'd choose a provider that primarily serves the trucking industry. If they don't keep your data safe, they go bankrupt. No ifs, ands or buts.

 

The problem with that, is those companies were part of the lobbying effort that got this mandate pushed through...all so that they could expand their customer base from the small percentage of trucks on the road to nearly the entire industry. They couldn't create a product everybody wanted, so they used the government to force it on those who have no use for it. Then, they charge a monthly fee for that service.

5 months of PeopleNet through the carrier pays for the Garmin plug-in...so I left the carrier and bought the Garmin. No monthly fees, data kept locally (used tablet to run the app, synched log files daily with phone and desktop for backup/redundancy with ELD files kept on all 3 devices), and just as legal as the high-dollar system without all of the "extra" crap I didn't want or need. Those "fleet management systems" track a lot of extra info that isn't required, and could come back to bite you in the rear if anything happens.

You are right about one thing, though. I wouldn't trust a pop-up company that saw dollar signs with the passage of the mandate with no real plan for continued operation once up and running. There has already been one major (carried in dern near every truck stop) ELD provider that pulled the plug, leaving who knows how many high and dry.

 

If you want to purchase a basic ELD that works with no additional monthly bills check out the Blue Ink BIT ELD.

 

Absolutely legal and absolutely adequate. In your case, I wouldn't even recommend doing anything else. However, you are a rarity. Most people wouldn't know how to sync data between 3 different devices if their lives depended on it. Being able to sync to a desktop rig every day tells me that you're head and shoulders above the rest of us in terms of computer literacy (I'd personally be afraid to expose my desktop rig to the Internet).

Without giving away my employer's trade secrets, our devices will only collect data that you requested and paid for. HOS data is only kept for 6 months. Other data may have different retention periods, but you'd be paying extra for it (on your request) and you'd get a full rundown before signing on the dotted line. I don't see why other players on the market would do things differently.

Before ordering extra features, you should keep that in mind. A driver-facing cam may show the driver picking his/her nose just before that drunken fourwheeler ran a red. If you're monitoring the diagnostics, what happens if the driver ignored the ABS light that came on earlier in the day and a texting hipster steps in front of the truck? Yes, those extras can bite you in the proverbial posterior, but you'd have to actively order them and be paying for them. At the same time, they can also help you lower your insurance premiums and fuel/maintenance costs, so as a business owner, you have to do your due diligence.

 

Not really. My 1st smartphone was a Blackberry Q10 running BB10 OS, and had an app for the desktop that made it easy to text, place/receive calls, or transfer files between the phone and PC. Ever since downgrading to Android (still a Blackberry...KeyOne), I've been searching for a similar app...and surprised it doesn't exist. What I HAVE found, however, is an app called "File Manager +" which in the main menu, has a "connect to PC" option, where if you're on the same WiFi network, you can find and access your phone's files through the file explorer the desktop...basically it appears as though it's another drive. So, every day I use that app to copy the ELD file from the tablet onto the desktop...and then place it onto my phone.

I'm probably among the least technologically adept members on this board. I've always preferred turning a wrench to tapping on a keyboard, and when I get stumped by technology, I find a way around it. For example, I scrapped the TBI on my 1990 Suburban for a 4-bbl carburetor and picked up 4 mpg. It's why I have ALWAYS preferred paper logs...they are 100% reliable, guaranteed to work every time. It's why they are STILL required to be carried, despite the mandate. Why? Because technology is unreliable. It's why you now have to back things up on multiple devices, where a single paper copy in a file cabinet used to suffice.

As for those extra features, a carrier will be questioned as to why those extra features weren't turned on, painting them as a company that doesn't care about safety if any of those features are safety related...hard braking, speeding, etc...and if they WERE turned on, then that data will be used against them. The only way to avoid being stuck between a rock and a hard place is to simply select an option that meets the regulatory requirements without all of those extra options.

And yes, the carrier I used to run for had given I/C's the option to keep those extra features turned off...but within 6 months had turned them all on due to the perceived liability if the option was readily available and they failed to use it. With the simple click of a mouse, I/C's no longer had the ability to opt out...and I was glad I was doing my own thing.

 

Oh, ok, that's different. You get to go home on a daily basis? The original assumption was that you were doing that while you're on the road. I would never put my PC outside the firewall (including doing any port forwarding). ELD's mainly affect OTR drivers who don't get to be on the same network as their desktop PC for weeks at a time.

In any case, my point stands. You are more computer-savvy than a typical member of the public. Most of them just want to tap on the pretty pictures and don't care how things happen. I used to train support staff in another industry that dealt with the general public. Their ignorance of computer technology was scary. You may dislike it; you may be better at dealing with the mechanical stuff, but you're still better than most in terms of computer literacy. Even in this industry, very few people even know which web browser they're using.

That's not something I've observed, while dealing with quite a few clients with a wide range of fleet sizes. A typical carrier will run a CBA and find a good balance between features that keep the insurance, operating and back office costs down to a point where paying for the feature makes financial sense. Very few get 'the Cadillac'.

 

Curious to know if your IFTA trip reports are correct. We have KT also but their reports are highly innaccurate. What’s worse, they can’t fix and now just ignore me