CarrierWeb CarrierMate ELD Review

CarrierWeb is a multi-national transportation technology company that has been in the business for a long time. Their primary trucking telematics product is called CarrierMate. There are a variety of models with differing screen sizes and operating systems, but the experience is similar across the board. The devices provide the standard features you’d expect to see: electronic logs, DVIR, messaging, GPS tracking, IFTA mileage reports, etc. ALK CoPilot GPS navigation is available, but it does cost an extra $7/month.

Beyond the basics, CarrierWeb also boasts quite a long list of more advanced features. Document scanning is available with the addition of a Docuport mobile scanner (not included). Fleet managers will appreciate the driver performance monitoring tools, route geofencing alerts, and extensive vehicle diagnostics capabilities. The system can integrate with Speed Gauge to capture true local speed limits and warn about speeding violations (for a small extra monthly charge). Pre-built integrations are available for TMW, McLeod and other major transportation software systems. Drivers can use a companion app on their smartphone to send and receive messages and perform DVIRs while away from their truck cab.

While CarrierMate does have a lot of features, the technology itself feels somewhat outdated. The software on the ELD display looks very 1980s-era. It is definitely not the slick, modern smartphone-style interface that most current ELD vendors are adopting. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The very simple user interface may even be more comfortable to drivers who are not used to newer devices. However, the back-office system for fleet managers has similar issues. There are plenty of features, but the user interface feels behind-the-times and can be difficult to use. Complex tasks like editing driver logs are often quite cumbersome.

CarrierWeb also has some substantial work remaining to make the product ELD Mandate compliant. While nearly all ELD vendors are still tweaking their software to meet some final mandate requirements, CarrierMate has a lot of work to do before it supports all the new features needed for full compliance. Among the mandate-specific features still in progress are: allowing driver log edits/approvals, adding supported methods of transferring logs to DOT officers,  and special status modes for Yard Moves and Personal Conveyance. That said, CarrierWeb is a reliable company with many years in the industry, and they will certainly have a fully compliant system by the time the mandate goes into effect in December 2017. But, fleets that sign on now may find the product will undergo some significant changes between now and then.

CarrierWeb is a solid company with a good reputation. Their product is reasonably affordable, and will serve the needs of many fleets adequately. While not flashy, the list of advanced features may make CarrierWeb attractive to companies trying to accomplish specific goals beyond just ELD compliance. However, the user experience is in need of a serious face-lift to make the system more efficient and user friendly. And potential buyers need to ask specific questions about when the devices will become ELD mandate compliant. All around, CarrierWeb is an ELD worth looking at, but it should be considered alongside some other potential options.

Cost

UP FRONT COST

$700

MONTHLY COST

$30

3-YEAR TOTAL COST

$1780

Pros & Cons

• Supports some useful advanced features
• Easy to install
• Fairly affordable

• Looks and feels a little outdated
• Log edits are cumbersome
• Some significant mandate compliance features absent until late 2017

Technical Specs