Rand McNally Debuts Low-Cost, Plug-in ELD
The ELD 50 is priced at $150 along with a $15 monthly subscription, the company said here March 31 at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
The device plugs into a truck’s diagnostic port under the dash and works in conjunction with driver's Android smartphone or tablet or Rand McNally’s TND tablet.
Ravi Kodavarti, Rand McNally’s director of commercial products, said the ELD 50 installs within seconds, making it “very easy” for drivers to become compliant.
“The installation is almost negligible,” Kodavarti said. “There are no extra cables. It just plugs right it.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s final rule on ELDs, published late last year, will require nearly all drivers who use paper logs to record their hours of service to install an ELD system in their trucks by Dec. 18, 2017.
The ELD 50 uses a Bluetooth connection to send hours-of-service data to Rand McNally’s free DriverConnect mobile application, where drivers can view their current HOS logs and driver vehicle inspection reports.
The app also provides engine data such as average fuel economy, coolant temperature and boost pressure.
Kodavarti said compatibility with Apple devices is on the product roadmap.
The ELD 50 will be available online and at travel centers at the end of April, the company said.
