For many fleet operators, switching from paper logbooks to Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) can feel like a daunting move. But for those using Logmaster, the change is proving to be a smart investment with measurable returns. As Logmaster Co-founder and Managing Director Josh Saunders explained in an exclusive interview with Fleet News Group, the ROI is clear from day one.
Legal Drive Time Back in the Bank
Josh is quick to point out one of the most immediate and impactful benefits of switching to an EWD: time.
“Operationally, when you use an electronic work diary, it counts time in one-minute blocks. When you use a paper diary, it counts time in 15-minute blocks,” he said. That difference can mean up to an extra hour of legal driving time each day, per driver.
“Let’s say a driver is aiming to pull up and have their 15-minute break at 1pm but there’s a bit of traffic, and they don’t pull up until five past one. They have to wait until quarter past one to then start that break. They’ve effectively wasted 10 minutes there,” Josh explained.
“With Logmaster, that 10 minutes is legal drive time they get back. Do that six times in a day and you’ve gained an hour.”
Multiply that across a 50-truck fleet, and operators are seeing 50 hours of productive time gained daily—with no increase in hours worked.
Less Paperwork, More Accuracy
It’s not just about the time saved behind the wheel. Office-based staff also experience big efficiency gains.
“Every day or every week that transport office is receiving a lot of different documents from their driver fleet—log book pages, pre-start checklists, fit-to-drive declarations, mass declarations, defect reports,” Josh said. “And someone’s got the job to take all that information, store it, record it, check it, and then be able to report it at an audit.”
With Logmaster, all of that becomes digital. “We create real-time data transfer from the driver to the office with no delay. All of those documents become screens on the platform. They can go ‘report’, and there it is,” Josh said.
This digital recordkeeping means operators can go from spending days preparing for audits to being “constantly audit ready”.
Compliance Without the Headaches
Fatigue breaches and compliance issues often occur because drivers miscalculate their hours or miss breaks.
“On Logmaster, Bob’s not going to make that mistake, because the system is going to tell him before he makes the mistake,” Josh said. “You almost delete the problem before it becomes a problem.”
This proactive compliance also reduces the workload for safety managers, who otherwise have to issue NCRs and manage investigations when paper-based breaches occur.
A Product Drivers Actually Like
Perhaps the most surprising source of ROI is user satisfaction. Drivers—often resistant to tech—are becoming Logmaster’s biggest advocates.
“We’ve got drivers who are 82 years old using it,” Josh said. “Once you give them the chance to unload why they’re nervous, and you give them factual answers that squash those misconceptions, they start using it and loving it.”
And that enthusiasm spreads. “The ripple effect of putting one driver on Logmaster is incredible.”
As Josh summed up, “I’ve sold lots of things in the past. Nothing sells like this product. There’s so much value in it for the price—you have a 45-minute demonstration and they’re buying it.”
EWDs might be a compliance tool on paper—but in the hands of smart operators, they’re delivering real gains across the entire business.
