6 Best Tablets for ELD Logs & Tablet Management

An ELD is an electronic device, usually a tablet, fixed in commercial vehicles to record the data automatically. This blog explores the six best tablets for ELD logs along with their details.

To effectively record data including hours of service, driving time, distance, and such, it is important to select the right ELD. Tablets are the most common ELDs because of their ease of use, reliability, and wireless nature. Many ELD hardware providers can even deliver completely warrantied devices for this purpose.

1Factors to Consider When Choosing an ELD Log for Trucking

When choosing an ELD for trucking, you must keep certain factors in consideration. These include:

• Battery Life – A good battery life saves the drivers from the hassle of continuous charging.
• Durability – For the road, the rugged hardware can have a longer life.
• Storage Capacity – Good storage capacity can ensure the recording of all data without any issues.
• GPS – When on the road, GPS is a must for the driver to keep track of location and for the fleet manager to keep track of the vehicles.
• Compliance – It helps improve the safety of drivers and vehicles and ensures correct logging of data per standards.
• User Interface – An easy-to-use UI reduces the learning curve for drivers and helps them operate the device without any issues.
• Pricing – Since the device stands as a choice for multiple vehicles, it's good to consider a price that stays within the budget.

Apart from these, the ability of the device to perform electronic data transfer and its audio quality, screen durability, and connectivity bandwidth are some of the important factors.

26 Best Tablets for ELD Logs

Let’s explore the six best tablets for ELD logs in terms of their battery capacity, Ingress Protection (IP) Rating, screen material, storage capacity, operating system, and pricing.

1Samsung Galaxy Tab A4

The first on the list is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A4. The features of this tablet are as follows:

Overall, it’s a good choice to cover all the basics, and that too at a very economical cost.

2Nokia T20

The second tablet in this category is the Nokia T20. The features are as follows:

Overall, this tablet has a good display for outdoor usage along with sufficient battery and storage capabilities, and that too within an economical price.

3Honeywell EDA71

The third tablet in this category is the Honeywell EDA71. The features are as follows:

Overall, the cost of the tablet is a bit expensive however it’s a rugged tablet, making it one of the best options for trucking.

4Getac ZX10

The fourth tablet in this category is a fully rugged Getac ZX10. The features of the tab are as follows:

Overall, it’s a fully rugged tablet and stands as a great choice for the roads.

5Motorola Moto Tab G62

The fifth tablet in this category is the Motorola Moto Tab G62. The features of the tab are as follows:

Overall, the tablet is a good choice when there are budget restrictions involved.

6Panasonic TOUGHBOOK FZ-S1

The last tablet in this category is Panasonic TOUGHBOOK FZ-S1 which is a fully rugged tablet and a great choice for the roads. Its features include:

Overall, it’s a great choice for rough environments and is capable of fulfilling most of the requirements of the trucking industry.

3How to Manage Tablet for ELD Logs?

To manage the ELD devices effectively, a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system is an essential requirement. The MDM system allows the administrators to control and secure multiple devices working on different operating systems.

A good MDM for ELD logs should contain the following features:

Zero Touch Enrollment (ZTE)

The Zero Touch Enrollment allows you to set up Android devices per your company’s internal policies and standards. This ensures consistency of policies throughout the applications.

Kiosk Mode

This mode restricts the usage of the device. You can limit the device to run a single application or multiple selective applications. This saves the device from being misused for personal use.

App Management

A good app management system makes it easy to bulk deploy the applications across all the devices and set up force installations and updates. It helps keep all the devices on an updated version.

Remote Support and Control

It's essential to have remote support and control so that you can assist and control the particular device while it’s on the road.

Policy

The system should be capable of defining policies to have a secure environment. These policies may include Wi-Fi configuration, GPS must stay enabled, auto-update, app blocklist, and more.

Alert and Workflow

With a proper workflow, you can make the drivers force-read the notifications and setup more of such required processes.

4Compliance for ELD Tablet to Follow

The ELD tablets should be compliant with recognized standards to make them safer and more secure for usage. Some of these important standards include:

FMCSA

FMCSA stands for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration which aims to set safety and security standards for the trucks and buses to reduce the chances of hazards like accidents or crashes. Some of its considerations include driver safety, passenger safety, bus safety, and more.

FCC Compliance

FCC stands for Federal Communications Commission. This standard does not specifically look into the safety or security standards of a product. Instead, it aims to verify if the device is within the defined limits of Radio Frequency emissions and Electromagnetic Interference.

CE Compliance

CE stands for Conformité Européenne. This standard implies that a device meets the set values of safety, environmental, and health standards of the European Union.

RoHS

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. This standard aims to verify that a particular electronic device does not contain any hazardous chemicals and substances.

Google Play Protect Certification

It is comparatively a simple standard and requires the devices to contain Google Play Protect which ensures that no harmful apps are installed on the device on auto.

All in all, ELD devices play a significant role in the trucking industry. To ensure that all the data is recorded in the right way and per the standards, it’s important to choose the right ELD device.