Magellan ELD self-certified, built in partnership with Samsung

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Updated Aug 28, 2017

Fullsizeoutput 5b6 2017 08 25 15 26The Magellan provider of GPS navigation products announced that its Magellan Hours of Service electronic logging device has been self-certified and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It’s now listed on the FMCSA online registry.

Magellan’s principle device is built in conjunction with Samsung utilizing its Tab-E tablet, says Samsung Senior manager of transportation business development Dain McCracken. He positions his group’s partnership with Magellan as the result in part of listening to driver and owner-operator attendees of the Great American Trucking Show in years past.

“I was at this show two years past,” McCracken says. Independents were largely saying, “‘I don’t want to do this – what can you guys do to make this more worthwhile for us.’” While larger fleets were looking for ways to attract and keep drivers or maximize productivity, smaller outfits just wanted an ELD that offered ease of use, with something else more valuable.

The marriage between sophisticated navigation and the electronic logbook on the Magellan ELD allows for one-touch toggling between the two. Magellan’s ELD bundle, including a ruggedized mounting device, the Samsung tablet, ECM connector for the ELD and more, comes with a manufacturer-recommended price of $849, which includes the first three years of service.The marriage between sophisticated navigation and the electronic logbook on the Magellan ELD allows for one-touch toggling between the two. Magellan’s ELD bundle, including a ruggedized mounting device, the Samsung tablet, ECM connector for the ELD and more, comes with a manufacturer-recommended price of $849, which includes the first three years of service.

To that effect, the Magellan/Samsung partnership offers a way to separate work and play on Samsung’s marquee tablet. Drivers can use the device in both ways, with sophisticated navigation easily toggled to the hours of service software module — and access to online streaming, games and more via the tablet’s consumer-focused features.

For fleets and independents worried about data costs with video streaming and the like on the “play” side of the work-play divide, the device is capable of being partitioned for cellular data service for work functions, operating over Wifi for the rest, McCracken says.

Buyers can also bring their own select Samsung devices to run the software associated with the ELD — compatible devices include the Tab E, Note 5, S7 and S8.