Penske Launches Driver App for ELD Compliance
Penske Truck Leasing Co. launched a mobile app that will allow rental truck drivers to comply with the federal mandate for electronic logging devices and to access other information that enhances productivity.
The new Penske Driver app, developed in-house, is a companion to the Penske Fleet app released earlier in the year and will be provided free to all commercial customers who need it, Penske officials announced Nov. 20.
Penske
Penske is one of many truck rental firms that are scrambling to offer electronic logging device capabilities for customers ahead of the mandate’s implementation on Dec. 18.
Penske has more than 67,000 rental trucks in its total fleet of more than 260,000 vehicles and has more than 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
In October, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it would exempt drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles that rented for eight days or less from the ELD mandate, rejecting an industry request for a longer time period.
The Truck Renting and Leasing Association, a trade group representing nearly 500 companies, asked FMCSA to exempt drivers of trucks rented for 30 days or less, which represents about 95% of all rental contracts.
CEO Jake Jacoby said he is hopeful that the agency will now allow more time for truck rental firms to comply, in part, because of problems that are expected to arise because ELD systems used by some drivers may not be compatible with systems offered by rental companies.
“We hope to receive a 90-day waiver,” Jacoby told Transport Topics Nov. 20. “We are cautiously optimistic that the agency will grant one given how little time we had to address our many concerns.”
Ryder System Inc., the nation’s largest truck leasing and rental company, launched its version of an electronic logging device platform, developed with Geotab, last month.
Penske said its app will work on both Android and iOS devices and is connected via Bluetooth to Penske’s fleet platform. The system allows customers to use any device and will provide, in addition to ELD compliance, access to data on fueling locations, vehicle maintenance records and fuel tax reporting capabilities.
“As we announced in April, we have been working on a solution for our rental fleet related to hours of service,” said Sherry Sanger, senior vice president of marketing for Penske in Reading, Pa. “Connecting fleets means connecting drivers and providing them with the valuable tools they need to make their jobs easier.”
