Blue Ink Tech Blog

Trucking Industry Insights


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Blue Ink Tech Blog

Explaining CSA scores: why do they matter?

A carrier's CSA score it on of the most important metrics a carrier can manage. It can mean the difference between finding good loads and not.

Jacqi Pack | June 30, 2022



Simple Steps to Switching ELD Providers

You deserve the best from an ELD... And changing ELD providers can be seamless by following these easy steps.

Tiffney Lopez | October 22, 2021



What you need to know about IFTA

The International Fuel Tax Agreement, also known as IFTA, has been around for a few decades. What is it and why is it so important for truck drivers?

Tiffney Lopez | October 6, 2021



Getting the Most out of Your ELD Provider

Being a truck driver is hard enough and your ELD provider should understand this. Let's take a look at some of the reasons drivers are ready to switch.

Tiffney Lopez | October 4, 2021



The Importance of the Daily Vehicle Inspection Record

The priority of the trucking industry is safety. In this post we discuss the what the DVIR is and what happens if it isn't taken seriously.

Tiffney Lopez | September 30, 2021



How to Recap your Cycle Hours

Truck drivers are always looking for the most efficient ways to make the most of their time and frequently recapping hours is one important way to do it.

Tiffney Lopez | September 21, 2021



Using the sleeper split to get more miles out of your 14 hours

The sleeper berth split rule is the perfect way to split up your required 10 hour reset and get the most miles inside your 14 hour work day.

Tiffney Lopez | September 19, 2021



Keeping your Permit Book Electronically

Having the documents you need when you need them is critical to operating a business smoothly. Here's a list of what you need and how to easily store it.

Tiffney Lopez | September 8, 2021



3 Rules for Claiming Adverse Conditions

It's important to know what actually constitutes adverse driving conditions and how you can make sure you are not violating Hours of Service rules.

Tiffney Lopez | August 25, 2021



Using DataQ to Correct Inaccurate DOT Citations

DataQs are ways for carriers, drivers, the public, the FMCSA and state partners to track and ensure accurate information is current and correct.

Tiffney Lopez | August 20, 2021



How ELDs Can Benefit the Exempt

Being exempt from the ELD mandate doesn't mean you can't use one to streamline your trucking operations.

Tiffney Lopez | August 16, 2021



Helping Drivers Adopt New Technology

Getting drivers to adopt new technology for your business can be an uphill battle. Using these techniques will put them in the fast lane.

Tiffney Lopez | August 11, 2021



Holding Shippers Accountable for Overloading Trucks

Shippers who tell drivers to go off site to get scale tickets to get loads fixed can be considered coercion and can cost shippers fines of up to...

Tiffney Lopez | July 27, 2021



What to do When a Shipper Overloads You

Fixing your load before you leave a site might cause a run-in with a shipper, but being compliant means less stress and more control of your business.

Tiffney Lopez | July 26, 2021



DOT Says You are Overloaded: What's the Next Step?

Your options are limited after an overweight citation from the DOT. Here are steps you can take to prevent it from happening again.

Tiffney Lopez | July 16, 2021



Maintenance Issues that Generate Fines

Running a smooth operation means making sure trucks are maximizing output and minimizing costs. Preventative truck maintenance is key.

Tiffney Lopez | July 14, 2021



7 Qualities of a Great Fleet Manager

Fleet managers don't just know how many people they are managing, but they know them personally.

Tiffney Lopez | July 12, 2021



The Cost of an Improperly Loaded Truck

Understanding the cost around a properly loaded truck can mean the difference between paying out-of-pocket or making a profit at the end of year.

Tiffney Lopez | July 10, 2021



Worry-Free Fleet Management is the Future of Trucking

A great fleet manager can use autonomous hardware and software solutions to optimize how a company and its drivers perform.

Tiffney Lopez | July 08, 2021



Respecting Drivers' Needs Could Lower Turnover

There are a number of considerations for reducing the high rates of turnover in the trucking industry.

Tiffney Lopez | July 07, 2021



Maximizing Your Fuel Economy Brings Peace of Mind

Truckers are potentially the most important people on the planet with the essentials they haul. These not-so-secret reminders can help save on fuel costs.

Tiffney Lopez | July 06, 2021



Think Twice About Tire Thumpers

Tires are a complicated piece of engineering. But one thing all of these tires have in common is also the simplest thing to get right. Tires, all tires, work best when properly inflated.

Brock Nicholson | April 03, 2019



Tire Related Violations Issued by State in 2018

Last year DOT officers wrote over 175,000 violations for tire issues. Of those violations 113,000 came from just ten states.

Brock Nicholson | April 08, 2019



Think Twice About Tire Thumpers

Tires are a complicated piece of engineering. But one thing all of these tires have in common is also the simplest thing to get right. Tires, all tires, work best when properly inflated.

Brock Nicholson | April 03, 2019



Why People Hate ELDs

One of the most common complaints about ELDs is that they don’t account for time wasted by the shipper. When a shipper makes a driver sit for hours, the 14-hour clock just keeps rolling. When a shipper overloads a truck, it leaves the driver with an impossible decision. Do they drive back to the shipper...

Brock Nicholson | March 22, 2019



The True Cost of Being Overloaded

In a perfect world, every truck would be filled to capacity on every run. Shippers would always have a door open when drivers arrived, and trucks would be loaded quickly and evenly every time. You’d never have to worry about things like axle-weights, and the only bears in the woods would be looking for picnic baskets.

Brock Nicholson | February 25, 2019



New ELD Option for Hotshots, Mid-duty Haulers

The people behind Blue Ink Technology’s no-monthly-fee BIT ELD have custom-designed a version of its hardware-purchase-only device — paired with freeware operable on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets — for light- and medium-duty trucks with OBDII-type in-cab portals to the vehicles’ electronic control modules.

| May 09, 2018



Attempt to delay ELD mandate fails in House

An amendment brought to a 2018 appropriations package to stall the electronic logging device mandate’s enforcement date for at least 10 months was defeated in a vote on the House floor late Wednesday night.

CCJ | July 31, 2017



Blue Ink Technology Launches ELD Solution

Blue Ink Technology has announced that it is offering an electronic logging device solution with a smart device app, online portal, and device that plugs into a truck’s diagnostic port.

HDT Truckinginfo | June 13, 2017



New App Hopes To Ease Pains of ELD-Compliance, Targets Owner-Operators

As the ELD mandate looms over drivers, several companies and pieces of technology have offered solutions to make the obligatory shift easier for drivers. Some solutions, however, are targeting the segment of drivers that may be reticent to embrace technology with 6 months until the compliance as they would rather wait until December. Blue Ink Technology is offering a FMCSA-registered app that allows drivers to become ELD compliant without the numerous auxiliary features that other ELD devices and services may offer.

Jake Tully | May 15, 2017



Fee Free ELD Offered by Blue Ink Tech
| May 01, 2017



Getting into an ELD just got a little less expensive

A couple of items I know about 9 out of 10 of you probably don’t want to hear about, but nonetheless, provided nothing changes between now and December, the ELD final rule goes in force, in which case you’re going to need something.