CHICAGO – While fleets, drivers and manufacturers are contending with supply chain shortages and cellular shutdowns, Rand McNally has launched a new ELD designed for what company officials call “straightforward, long-term compliance.”
The new Vehicle Link ELD, part of Rand McNally’s compliance solutions, is available and shipping to customers now.
Together with Rand McNally’s Fleet platform and the Rand VL (Vehicle Link) app for drivers, the Vehicle Link simplifies compliance by providing Hours of Service and Driver Vehicle Inspection (DVIR) reporting with a low-cost, easy to use solution, according to a news release.
“For months we’ve been hearing from fleets and drivers about potential compliance disruptions,” said Ivan Sheldon, vice president of product management at Rand McNally. “It’s been a double whammy: Major supply chain shortages, which means vendors are having difficulty providing ELDs to customers. Plus, there are thousands of existing ELDs that rely upon 2G and 3G networks, which are being shuttered and have rendered those devices obsolete.”
“We’re happy to add the new Vehicle Link to our fleet portfolio and help meet the demand for compliance devices,” Sheldon said.
The Hardware & Platform
Vehicle Link is a small electronic logging device that installs in seconds. Measuring 1.5 inches in diameter, it plugs into a truck’s diagnostic port and pairs with the Rand VL app on an Android phone or tablet.
Due to its small size, the Vehicle Link is easily hidden and out of the way for drivers. Powerful, the Vehicle Link continually transmits HOS information to the Rand VL driver app. When connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network, the app transmits data to Rand McNally’s back-end Fleet portal. As a result, there are no concerns about out-of-date cellular modems with the Vehicle Link solution.
“We wanted to provide a solution that is as straightforward and dependable as possible,” Sheldon said.
The Android app works with the Vehicle Link to provide drivers with HOS logs, DVIR reporting, as well as fuel entry for IFTA reporting, and messaging back to the home office.
The Rand McNally Fleet portal supplies six months of reports and logs, which can be downloaded and saved.
For fleets with multiple trucks, the portal also enables managers to view truck location and vehicle status.
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