An online poll conducted through email and social media by Help Inc., the provider of the PrePass weigh station bypass service, has found that nearly half of respondents had not yet selected an electronic logging device ahead of the Dec. 18 deadline.

Only 33% of survey respondents said that they had selected and installed an ELD, while 18% had made a selection but hadn’t yet installed the device. The survey was conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 5, around two weeks before the scheduled compliance deadline.

While some of those polled who had not yet made an ELD choice may just be procrastinating, as many as 68% of that group said they weren’t planning to comply before the deadline – some because they weren’t convinced the ELD mandate would actually take effect on time, while as many as 31% of the group said they wouldn’t install ELDs at all, deadline or otherwise.

The survey also revealed that some trucking professionals were more likely than others to comply. Half of fleet managers surveyed reported having ELDs installed and operational, while only 28% of drivers and owner-operators said the same thing.

“It is surprising to see that such a large share of both owner-operators and drivers as well as fleet professionals see no need or rush to comply with the upcoming ELD mandate,” said Karen Rasmussen Help Inc. CEO. “Whether they are in favor of ELD or not, there is every indication that the FMCSA intends to follow through with its plans to require the devices without delay.”

Respondents reported that buying a low-cost, easy-to-use solution from a trusted provider were important factors influencing their purchasing decisions. A perception that ELDs are expensive is one reason many drivers and owners-operators and fleet managers are not planning to install the devices. According to the poll, 24% of respondents said they had not selected an ELD due to what they believe are high costs. 

Help Inc. recently launched its own ELD application, designed to work with an OBD device that plugs into the diagnostic port using an app for Android and iOS devices.

“I believe there is a misconception among some fleets and owner-operators/drivers that ELDs are expensive and difficult to install, but that’s not the case,” said Rasmussen. “PrePass and a few other providers offer ELD solutions that literally take just a few seconds to install when paired up with a smartphone or tablet, and the apps cost no more than a dollar per day to use.”

The full results for the survey are available through an infographic found here.