It's a common sight on roads today, a driver is stopped at a light that has just turned green, heads down, eyes glued to their phone. People just can't seem to be able to disconnect from their electronic distractions.

Blocking texting or other features on your driver's phone might not be the best solution. Taking a systematic approach to reduce distractions in the vehicle and train your driver on what is expected of them when they are driving your vehicle.

 Matt has a problem. His GPS vendor won't get back to him, support tickets go unanswered, plus he needs new hardware track three more vehicles. Sales say they should ship in a few weeks. After putting up with this sort of abuse, Matt can't wait to find a better partner to help him deal with his fleet technology issues, but he is under a contract for another 18 months. If this scenario sounds familiar, you are not alone. 

While you didn't get into your business to operate a small fleet of vehicles, your employees rely on them to get to the job site and do what they do best. Owners and managers who take safety seriously, comply with OSHA and other regulations, teach best practices and impart their safety culture oftentimes do not extend that out to one of the more dangerous aspects of the job: getting there.

Many fleet owners are in the same position, the setup they have been using for years is not going to be legal after the end of next year and are looking at what their options are. Making the change from older style AOBRD to the new ELD may seem like a leap, but most people find it is more of a step if you know what the changes mean for your drivers.

The differences between the systems are fewer than you might imagine and it really is the details that can cause most of your pains.

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We often hear about clients and other small businesses allowing employees to take vehicles home for personal use. Jane needs a van to move some boxes this weekend, Frank wants to grab something at the home improvement store and wants to borrow a pickup, etc. Some employers also allow their team to commute with the vehicles if they live closer to the job-site than the office it saves everyone time and fuel.

No one wants to think about having an accident with one of their commercial drivers, but do they know what the plan is in case it happens? Having solid procedures in place will help you and your driver keep your cool and navigate the post-accident issues.

While there are a lot of things to think about when talking about your fleet, the hardware you choose to pair with your fleet management software is probably a low priority. I mean it's just a commodity at this point, right? Well, the real answer is that it is a little more complicated than that.

Severity weights have been assigned to electronic logging device (ELD) violations that will effect a driver's or motor carrier's safety profile score (CSA).

Knowing what you have in terms of ELD and how it works is paramount if you want to get through a DOT roadside inspection. Here are a few quick tips.