TFM ELD

I’ve been using TFM ELD for just over 24 hours after my company switched us over from another platform (likely to cut costs). After talking with customer support, I’m left disappointed. Biggest Problems No portrait/vertical support. The entire app is locked in landscape orientation. Phones and tablets have to be mounted sideways instead of the normal up-and-down position. In 2026 this feels outdated. I’m in the iOS ecosystem and prefer using an iPad for navigation, but the forced landscape made me fall back to an older iPhone just so the mounting orientation is less awkward. Must stay the primary/foreground app or logging stops. If you switch to another app (navigation, music, etc.), TFM disconnects and enters a “mobile shutdown” state that prevents logging. Other modern ELDs let you minimize them and continue tracking while remaining compliant. Forcing the ELD to be the only active app is a real operational headache, especially on tablets. Driver status updates are unreliable. Status changes I make on the driver side often do not update or save correctly, even after hitting save. Sometimes the inspection/DOT view shows the correct status while the driver-facing side does not. When you’re working a 70-hour cycle, every minute matters. This inconsistency is unacceptable. The overall interface feels generic and behind the times. The lack of annual or contractual fees makes it clear this is positioned as a low-cost option, and the experience reflects that. What Works Well • Solid dark/night mode. • Correctly displays local time. • Good split-sleeper-berth handling — it clearly shows the difference between split sleeper and a normal 10-hour rest. • While driving, the four clocks (break, drive, shift, and cycle remaining) are easy to see at a glance. This is genuinely useful. • Built-in explanations of rules (adverse driving conditions, personal conveyance, etc.) are clear and helpful, especially for newer drivers. As someone with over 10 years behind the wheel, I still appreciate having that reference right in the app. Bottom Line I would not recommend TFM ELD in its current form. Better, more modern options exist that handle multitasking, orientation, and status updates the way drivers actually need them to work. If the developers fixed the forced landscape limitation, allowed proper background operation without killing the log, and cleaned up the status-update reliability, this could become a solid, low-cost contender. Right now it feels like a budget solution that still needs significant work to meet 2026 expectations. Hoping either my company reconsiders the switch or the developers take the feedback seriously and improve the product.

The android app is usable, but it's a data pig. The Apple version is not a functional app. I have tried to get it to work, but it can't even stay connected to my bluetooth device! I have spent more time claiming and rejecting driving periods, adjusting on duty time, and off duty time than I care to admit! I'm going back to paper logs until I can get a new android device.