Two New Low-Cost EOBRs Ready to Enter In-Cab Device Market

The market for low-cost electronic onboard recorders is getting two new entrants.

Rand McNally Co. has elbowed its way onto the EOBR scene by unveiling a new in-cab communication device it calls the TND 760 Fleet Edition and sells for $799, while cab-communications giant Qualcomm Inc. said it will meet that price with a new model to be introduced later this year.

Rand McNally, Chicago, said the TND 760 can be set up in less than 30 minutes and does not require a separate black-box monitoring unit, as do traditional mobile communication systems.

The TND 760 can send fleet communications by e-mail, Wi-Fi and cellphone, Rand McNally said. The data include driver and vehicle performance monitoring, hours-of-service compliance and truck-specific navigation.

All data on fleet activity are managed through Rand McNally’s FleetWatcher Web-based portal, the company said.

Most EOBRs are more than just recording devices. They provide automated driver logs and include other fleet-management services such as load assignments, location tracking, vehicle diagnostics, navigation and mobile communications.

Many EOBR models cost be-tween $1,000 and $2,000, and this does not include a monthly service fee between $30 and $50 for each vehicle. The fees depend on what range of services are provided.

With a smaller price tag, Rand McNally’s new product offers a lower cost of entry for small carriers considering EOBRs, said J. Ward Best, vice president of Atlantic Bulk Carrier Corp. in Providence Forge, Va.

Even though its price is economical, the TND 760 was not designed for small fleets only, said Jim Rodi, senior vice president for mobile communications for Rand McNally.

“Fleet size is not the determining factor on what solution Rand McNally recommends to its customers,” Rodi said. “We focus on what operational challenges they need to solve and how best to address them with our solutions.”

Qualcomm Inc. also will not target a particular trucking demographic when it rolls out its MCP50 EOBR model, also priced at $799, later this year. “We want to have the right platform for each fleet,” said Monica Wyly, Qualcomm’s senior manager of product marketing. “We don’t see them as ‘one size fits all.’ ”

Wyly described the MCP50 as easy to adopt by fleet managers because it offers e-logs, data on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, driver behavior and vehicle inspection data on a 7-inch screen. With a low price tag, “the MCP50 is an entry-level platform that lets fleets get in at whatever EOBR level they want,” Wyly said.

Qualcomm announced in March it was developing the MCP50 and said it is designed for fleets that don’t need the 200 functions of its high-end models.

Both Xata Corp. and PeopleNet Communications Corp. for a long time have been in the EOBR no-money-down, monthly fee market. Both companies offer a simple EOBR that employs a small recorder with a connection to vehicle sensors and a Bluetooth connection to a smart phone for driver interaction.

Xata, Eden Prairie, Minn., has offered its Xata Turnpike product since it acquired Turnpike Global Technologies in 2009, said Ryan Barnett, a market analyst for the company. “It’s always been the plan to offer a free device that was lumped into a monthly fee as opposed to charging an upfront hardware cost.”

Xata’s device is hooked up to an engine and sends data to a cellphone, smart phone or tablet computer. The fee is $35 per month. The company just introduced an app allowing Turnpike to run on Google Inc.’s Android phone.

PeopleNet offers a no-money-down EOBR bundle that starts at $48 per vehicle per month. The EOBR bundle has been popular among smaller fleets, PeopleNet said.

PeopleNet, Minnetonka, Minn., said its EOBR bundle is available on all displays across PeopleNet’s onboard computing platform. Fleets choosing the bundle option lease PeopleNet’s hardware and pay a monthly per vehicle fee starting at $48, PeopleNet spokeswoman Meghan AuBuchon said.