A significant number of North American fleets have not yet installed electronic logging devices, with many relying on grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices to track driver logs. A new survey by MiX Telematics found that three in 10 fleets operating in North America are not yet running ELDs, almost eight months after the mandate became law.

MiX Telematics, a global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions, announced the results of its new survey, conducted among fleet executives and managers, exploring their top industry concerns as well as ELD readiness.

Among the key findings in the survey:

•        71% of respondents whose fleets needed to comply with the ELD Mandate say they have already completed their implementations. Only one percent have not begun the process at all. The balance are either in the midst of the process or grandfathered in until Dec 2019 with AOBRDs.

•        Across all respondents, reducing risky driving was identified as the top concern for fleet professionals for 2018, followed by optimizing fleet operating costs, ELD/HOS compliance and improving maintenance.

•        Among fleets with 500 or more vehicles, optimizing overall fleet operating costs was the top concern, and improving maintenance was second, with reducing risky driving in fifth place.

•        Looking at the data by job title, senior managers’ top concerns were reducing risky driving and improving maintenance, but fleet managers top concerns were improving maintenance and optimizing overall fleet operating costs.

Pete Allen, chief client officer at MiX Telematics North America, said, “By this point – seven months after the ELD mandate went into effect – we expected higher compliance. Three in ten fleets that need to comply have not yet done so. With the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration now fully enforcing the law, fleets need to take action.”

Allen also noted the difference in priorities between fleet executives and fleet managers. “Safety should be the number-one priority for every fleet, and every fleet employee,” said Allen. “Executives need to make sure incentives are aligned around this very important goal.”