ELD Or AOBRD, You Pick
With the ELD mandate approaching its compliance deadline, the need for fleet owners to decide between AOBRDs or ELDs is becoming all the more important. There is a lot of confusion going on in the trucking industry, and the decision of choosing between the two types of devices has presented itself as a bigger challenge than expected.
YOUR GUIDE TO THE MANDATE: Downloadable PDF.
Let’s take a step back and try to understand how these two devices are different from each other, and what choosing either of them would mean for your fleet.
The Differences Between ELDs and AOBRDs
Both are hardware devices that connect with the vehicles’ engines, but there are some technical differences between them. The major differences are mostly about the information that AOBRDs and ELDs record.
For instance, ELDs record date and time, engine hours, vehicle miles, location, information on drivers, motor carrier, and vehicle, including malfunctions, engine on and off, logging in and out, etc.
AOBRDs, in comparison with ELDs, record less data, i.e., engine hours, vehicle miles, drive time, location, duty status, and date and time.
Another major difference is that ELDs don’t allow editing in driving time. With AOBRDs, you can edit driving time if it was attributed to the wrong driver.
Which One Should You Buy? AOBRDs or ELDs?
So, which one should you buy? AOBRDs or ELDs?
Technically, you are allowed to buy AOBRDs now and get two more years for ELD implementation. There are a couple of ELD providers whose electronic logging devices are capable of also working as AOBRDs. In other words, you can buy their ELD solution, make it work like an AOBRD until December 2019, and then switch it to an ELD solution with just a couple of clicks or a software update.
KeepTruckin is selling a fully compliant ELD solution that fleets can use as AOBRDs until December 2019 — with additional options and flexibility.
Fleet managers can choose the exact options and level of flexibility they need (such as reclassification of driving time, reassignment of driving time, unidentified driving time, etc.). Whenever fleets want to start using ELDs, they will only have to turn those settings off.
For more details on the flexible options that KeepTruckin ELD solution provides as an AOBRD solution, read the following post.
Further reading: ELD or AOBRD — KeepTruckin Lets You Choose
Such hybrid options are getting more and more popular among fleets, as they won’t have to invest in a different device to enjoy these added options.
Conclusion
If you want the additional flexibility until December 2019, buy flexible devices like the KeepTruckin ELD and use it as an AOBRD. Then, whenever you are ready, you can just deactivate the AOBRD settings and continue using the device as a 100% FMCSA-compliant electronic logging device.
The KeepTruckin Electronic Logbook for Android, KeepTruckin Electronic Logbook for iPhone, and KeepTruckin Electronic Logging Device or AOBRD, are the #1 rated electronic logs and fleet management system in the market. Over 27,000 fleets trust KeepTruckin for ELD compliance, IFTA reporting, GPS tracking and much more.
