| UP FRONT COST | MONTHLY COST | 2-YEAR TOTAL COST |
| $200-$550 | $25-$60 | $800-$1,990 |
PROS:
JJ Keller is the industry leader in DOT compliance
No contract necessary, pay-as-you-go pricing
Fleet management web software that is good for compliance management
CONS:
Limited telematics features
Fleet management web software is dated
Convoluted and confusing pricing
| Cost | Hardware | Elog App | Fleet App | Features | Total |
| 3 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 | 3.4 / 5 |
Intro
J.J. Keller has historically been the major name brand in DOT (Department of Transportation) compliance. Their ELog ELD is a simple device that is part of their larger Encompass compliance management software. ELog will keep you on the right side of DOT regs, but it does not have a lot of flashy features beyond that.
J.J. Keller is a very respected name in trucking compliance. They essentially invented the paper logbook back in the 50s and are updating and reinventing themselves to offer an ELD product. Their ELog product is an optional add-on to their larger compliance system, Encompass. Encompass is a full fledged compliance management tool that handles everything from logs, to driver qualification files, to preventative maintenance and much much more.
Customers who use their ELog ELD system will automatically become Encompass users as well, with this integrated suite of compliance tools.
Pricing is complex and confusing. ELog looks fairly inexpensive initially, but there are other charges that can greatly increase the price. To get clarity about the real cost, get an official quote from J.J. Keller.
Cost - 3 / 5
JJ Keller provides several different options for the driver or manager to choose from and it can make their pricing confusing and price range very wide. Pricing is structured as follows, upfront fee for hardware and upfront fee for training and implementation, plus monthly charge. More explicitly, pricing works as follows..
Up Front
The black box that plugs into the truck is $200 (financing options available).
If you provide your own device or use the driver’s, that will likely be free or very cheap to get the hardware (with two year contract). If you want to use J.J. Keller’s official tablet, that is $349.
One-time training and implementation fee. This depends on the size of your fleet can easily come to several thousand dollars.
Monthly
$25.50/mo per vehicle, if you provide your own display device...
Or $59/mo per vehicle if you use the official J.J. Keller provided tablet.
Extra drivers are $3.50/mo (if you have more drivers than vehicles)
If you want to track DVIR records and other compliance info on trailers, it is $3.50/mo additional for each trailer as well.
If you want ALK Co-Pilot GPS navigation for drivers on the device that is $10/mo
Example of costs
Potential customers for JJ Keller ELogs can take into consideration that the least expensive option would be to have drivers use their own smartphones, then pay $200 for the Elog box up front and $25/mo, giving a total 2-year cost of only $800 per device.
Or on the more expensive side the potential customer could use the official J.J. Keller tablet and add Co-Pilot Navigation, and pay $550 up front and $60/mo. This gives a very large 2-year cost of right under $2,000.
In any of the scenarios above the potential customer also needs to consider the cost of extra drivers, trailers, and the implementation/training fee.
All around, while JJ Keller looks like a budget option on paper, the actual costs can quickly get very high, requiring potential customers to include more different payments than for other offerings to avoid under budgeting.
Device / Installation / Connectivity - 3.5 / 5
The Elog device itself is a simple “black box” that plugs into the truck’s diagnostic port, and communicates with a display device via Bluetooth. It can be installed quickly and without much hassle by a driver or fleet manager.
The display can be any Android or Apple smartphone or tablet. The device can be provided by the trucking company, or the drivers could use their own. Or for fleets that want an all-in-one solution, J.J. Keller can provide a tablet to use with the system.
ELog Mobile App For Drivers - 3.5 / 5
The device itself is a simple solution, focused on compliance, without many features. Logs and DVIRs are included. Navigation is an add-on, as is GPS tracking in the back office. There is no messaging feature, or engine diagnostics, or document scanning abilities. Driver’s cannot currently email logs from the device.
Website For Fleet Managers - 3.5 / 5
The Encompass back office system is rich with excellent compliance tools, but the interface is dated, old fashioned, and not user friendly.. The features and capabilities may change as software is updated to comply with the mandate, but as of Q1 2017 the system comprises a fairly basic device, geared at compliance, not fleet management. The system does not offer the best bang for the buck.
Conclusion - 3.4 / 5
Elog with Encompass is a solid product from an industry leader. If you want to know you’ve got the top name in regulatory compliance behind you, J.J. Keller has a good solid name in regulatory compliance, a reputation earned over decades for paper logs. (Similar in some ways to Rand McNally, the provider of paper maps that is now making ELog devices).
For fleets looking to go beyond logs and improve compliance across the board, Encompass may be especially appealing. But evaluate the pricing carefully, and consider bang-for-buck before standardizing on these offerings.
Specifications
Display Device
Type: BYOD
OS: Android & iOS
Features
DVIR
IFTA
Navigation
Editable Logs
Price per unit
Up-front cost: $200
Monthly cost: $40
2-year Total Cost: $1180