Rand McNally Introduces ELD With Cellular Connectivity
LAS VEGAS — Rand McNally introduced a new electronic logging and fleet-management device with cellular connectivity that it said was designed to meet the budgets and compliance requirements of small- and medium-size fleets looking to leverage existing Android devices.
“Essentially, you are able to communicate between the driver and the fleet manger in a much more structured way,” Ravi Kodavarti, director, product management, commercial transportation at Rand McNally, told Transport Topics. “Medium-size fleets definitely see that as a value-added [feature]. But we are working with several large fleets as well.”
The DC 200 device is priced at $399.99 and will be available in December, according to the company. Two monthly plans are available, compliance and core, that, respectively, cost $24.99 and $29.99 per month.
“If someone just wants be mandate-capable, that’s where they will be doing the compliance plan, but the core plan gives you more features," Kodavarti said.
These include automated IFTA fuel-tax reporting, messaging between drivers and fleet managers and forms-based messaging in workflow management, he said.
Canadian hours-of-service rules also are supported, according to Skokie, Illinois-based Rand McNally.
“The cloud-based DriverConnect system was built with a scalable infrastructure, allowing for integration with other Transportation Management Systems,” the company said.
Also, the device features a single Y cable, which plugs into a truck’s J-Bus port. Once paired with an Android device, the DC 200 enables drivers to view logs, driver vehicle inspection reports and more through the Rand McNally DriverConnect app, the company said.
Additionally, fleets and drivers can access information via the Rand McNally DriverConnect web portal, it said.
Just as with the Bluetooth plug-and-play ELD 50, introduced earlier this year, the DriverConnect app also provides access to 10 engine-driven gauges, including average fuel economy, coolant temperature and boost pressure.
Since the Android app is free, Rand McNally said, drivers can test-drive the product by downloading the application and inputting their status manually. Those reports can be turned into PDFs and exported.
The Rand McNally DriverConnect app is available on Google Play as well as the Rand McNally marketplace, which is available on Rand McNally Android tablets, the company said.
With a monthly subscription, drivers and fleet managers can access the Rand McNally DriverConnect web portal, where up to six months of HOS logs and DVIRs are stored. Using the web portal, drivers and fleet managers also may view vehicle locations on a map and administer functions such as adding drivers to a device and messaging with drivers, it said.
Also, the app automatically syncs with the web portal via Wi-Fi or cellular transmission, providing the most up-to-date reports, it said.
DC 200 and ELD 50 by John Sommers II for TT 
