Last year, Holland ventured on a quest to improve our handheld technology, not only because of the industry mandate, but for the opportunities it would afford our customers:
- With handheld technology in the hands of our drivers, we can now accept loads onsite for our customers
- Any route changes or urgent requests are handled in real-time since drivers and dispatch are connected via handhelds
Our journey to go beyond the mandate
December 18, 2017. That’s the date when most carriers were required to have their electronic logging devices (ELDs) in use. The mandate has been a long time coming. Some carriers were already using ELDs to record hours of service back in the mid-1980s. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) first tried to mandate ELDs in 2000, but stiff opposition delayed it. It wasn’t until December 2015 that the requirement was announced and carriers had two years to comply.
There continued to be controversy and protests from companies trying to delay or kill the ELD mandate. Some carriers feared the mandate would force them out of business. Trucks not equipped with ELDs could be taken out of service during a roadside inspection if not compliant, leaving customers’ freight delayed or stranded.
We knew this day was coming. Holland got busy and took all the necessary steps to ensure we would be ready to roll come December 2017. It was time well spent. We took this as an opportunity to improve driver safety and efficiency, in turn improving our customers’ experience.
Handheld technology helps the Holland team work more efficiently to get deliveries where they need to be, when they’re expected to be there.
That’s not to say the process has been easy. Turning mandates into opportunities never is. We wanted to make sure it was done right. It required careful investigation to find the right solution and a great deal of teamwork throughout the process of selecting the solution, customizing it for Holland, and training drivers to use it.
Our technology partners are best-in-class
Holland partnered with two industry leaders to implement a best-in-class, easy-to-use system. The handheld devices, resembling a super cellphone, are from Honeywell. The software that runs on the handhelds is from Omnitracs, one of the top electronic log providers, recognized throughout the industry for the quality of their applications.
As technology continues to improve, we continue to work with Honeywell and Omnitracs enhancing the features and driver workflow experience. Mandated or not, Holland sees technology as an opportunity to help drivers be safe and more efficient — which means freight arrives safely and on time.
We’re committed to advancement and increasing our technology investments. Our quest has only just begun!