With a major Electronic Logging Device (ELD) deadline looming in just a few more weeks, Uber Freight is offering small carriers a free device and service in exchange for data.
In a November 15 blog post, Uber Freight unveiled an offer to provide free ELD devices along with a year of service to small carriers if carriers agree to share their telematics data with Uber Freight.
To be eligible for the offer, carriers must operate 10 or fewer trucks
Per the offer, the ELD devices and service will be provided by telematics provider Geotab.
According to a Geotab blog post, a large amount of data can be collected by a telematics device, including “position, speed, trip distance/time, idling, harsh braking and driving, seat belt, fuel consumption, vehicle faults, battery voltage, and other engine data.”
Uber’s blog post explains that the offer is meant to help smaller carriers to continue growing in spite of the financial burden of becoming ELD compliant:
In order to stay compliant with the changing requirements around electronic logging device (ELD) use, carriers have had to adopt new operating costs in recent years. ELD equipment and accompanying service can costcarriers hundreds of dollars per truck per year, which can be significant for carriers with less capital. For small carriers trying to grow a business, every expense counts—whether it’s fuel, maintenance, or the cost of a new truck.
Everything we do at Uber Freight is designed to unlock opportunity for carriers, from intuitive booking and fast payments to service discounts offered through our Plus program.
The Uber Freight ELD offer comes as the December 16, 2019, deadline for fleets to transition from grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRD) to FMCSA-approved ELD devices approaches.
For more information on the Uber Freight’s ELD offer, please click here.