An ELD is a compliance device. It automatically records driving time from the engine control module and produces the hours-of-service log a driver must present at a roadside inspection. Its scope is the logbook and the data around it — duty status, location, engine hours, miles.
A TMS is an operations system. It is where a load gets entered, assigned to a driver, tracked through pickup and delivery, closed out with a signed proof of delivery, invoiced, and settled. It manages customers, carriers, rates, and documents. It does not, by itself, record hours of service.
The two connect. Many TMS platforms integrate with ELD providers so dispatchers can see available driving hours and location without a second login, and so status updates flow automatically. But an ELD integration is a feature of a TMS, not a replacement for one — and an ELD on its own does nothing to run dispatch or billing.
A one-truck operation can technically run with just an ELD and a spreadsheet. Once there are multiple trucks, repeat customers, or accessorials to track, the spreadsheet is the part that breaks first.
How to apply the answer
The answer changes when the operating facts change. Before applying it, identify the carrier's fleet size, equipment, authority model, lanes, customer requirements, and the records already available. A small owner-operator may make a different decision from a multi-truck carrier with dedicated freight, an accounting team, or a shipper routing guide. State those assumptions so another person can review the reasoning instead of treating a general answer as a promise.
Use the answer as a starting point for a repeatable workflow. Write down the inputs, compare the available options, and record the evidence behind the decision. For this question, the relevant terms include proof-of-delivery. Linking the question to those definitions helps a dispatcher or owner move from a short answer to the operational detail that determines what happens next.
A useful next step is to test the decision against one real load, customer, driver, or settlement record, while keeping private information out of the example. Check what changed after the decision and update the process if the result did not match the assumption. This is especially important for compliance, tax, pricing, and cash-flow topics, where requirements and commercial terms can change.
If the decision affects more than one team, write down the handoff: who prepares the information, who reviews it, and where the final record lives. That small step turns a useful answer into a repeatable operating practice and makes it easier to find the next question when the workflow changes.
Trailflow's product pages describe supported workflows separately from this answer. Review the relevant product or workflow page for current availability, and verify regulated or financial decisions with the applicable primary source or qualified advisor.
Terms in this answer: Proof of Delivery (POD)
In Trailflow: ELD and other integrations.