Author: Victoria Gole

Electronic Logging Devices Proposed to Improved Efficiency and Safety

On March 13th, The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a revised proposal to mandate that electronic logging devices be installed in interstate commercial buses and trucks.

The requirement would reduce paperwork burdens on carriers, help enforce hours-of-service rules, and ensure that drivers are not harassed, FMCSA said.

The new proposal supplements FMCSA’s February 2011 proposal. FMCSA stopped work on that requirement in 2012 after a federal court ruled that a previous regulation mandating the devices for some carriers did not properly prevent the ELDs from being used to harass drivers.

“Today’s proposal will improve safety while helping businesses by cutting unnecessary paperwork” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “By leveraging innovative technology with electronic logging devices, we have the opportunity to save lives and boost efficiency for both motor carriers and safety inspectors.”

The proposal addresses new technical specifications for ELDs, clarifies hours-of-service supporting document requirements, mandates ELDs for drivers currently using record of duty status, and outlines technical and procedural provisions aimed at ensuring ELDs are not used to harass vehicle operators.

“By implementing electronic logging devices, we will advance our mission to increase safety and prevent fatigued drivers from getting behind the wheel,” FMCSA Administrator, Anne Ferro said. “With broad support from safety advocates, carriers and members of Congress, we are committed to achieving this important step in the commercial bus and truck industries.”

In an effort to lessen motor carriers’ and drivers’ fears, FMCSA said in its statement that the rule protects privacy because electronic logs would only be available to law enforcement or FMCSA during compliance reviews, roadside inspections, and post-crash investigations.

“American Trucking Association supports FMCSA’s efforts to mandate electronic logging devices in commercial vehicles as a way to improve safety and compliance in the trucking industry and to level the playing field with thousands for fleets that have already moved to this technology voluntarily,” American Trucking Association President Bill Graves said.

The rule would come with a new prohibition on carriers harassing drivers. This could carry up to an $11,000 fine. Carriers must allow drivers access to their logs, and the logging devices must be able to be muted when drivers are asleep.

Ultimately, The proposed rule will reduce hours-of-service violations by making it much harder for drivers to misrepresent their time on logbooks and avoid detection by law enforcement personnel and FMCSA. Analysis shows it will also help reduce crashes by fatigued drivers and approximately prevent 20 fatalities and 434 injuries each year for an annual safety benefit of $394.8 million.

The proposal will soon be published by FMCSA in the Federal Register, starting a 60-day period comment period for the public. The comments will then be considered by the agency before making the rule final.

As proposed, after FMCSA makes it final the mandate would take two years to take effect.

More information on Electronic Logging Devices and the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, visit: www.FMCSA.org/rules-regulations/

Sources:
FMCSA: DOT Proposes Use of Electronic Logbooks to Improve Efficiency & Safety
Transport Topics: FMCSA Proposes ELD Mandate for Nearly All Trucks

Mandate for Electronic Log Devices or Electronic Onboard Recorders Soon In Effect

Please See Updated Article: Electronic Logging Devices Proposed by FMCSA

A rule mandating Electronic Log Devices or, Electronic Onboard Recorders as they are also known, is expected to be published April 9th 2014 according to a monthly report from the Department of Transportation. DOT has been pushing back the publication date for the rule since late 2013.

The mandate will require all drivers responsible for keeping records of duty status to use an electronic logging device. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration submitted the rule to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on August 7th 2013 with a projected publication date of November 18th 2013.

In the Department of Tranportation’s last report which was issued March 11th 2014, projects the rule will clear OMB on March 28th. The publication of the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking projected for April 9th will follow. The proposal will then allow 60 days for public comment ending on the 9th of June.

Any comments will be taken into consideration before the agency would publish a final rule.

The Department of Transportation still also projects its driver coercion rule to be published on April 23rd 2014, The rule would create a requirement that the agency “consider whether coercion of drivers” by shippers, receivers, carriers or brokers “is a concern when developing a rule.” It too would have a 60-day comment period.

FMCSA’s Carrier Safety Fitness Determination rule proposal is, as per the report, still set to still be published August 4th 2014. The rule would change the agency’s data gathering process in regards to the way it calculates a carrier’s Safety Fitness Determination score. After the rule passes, if it does, the agency will use data from crashes, roadside inspections, violation history and investigations, nearly an identical data set used in calculating a Safety Measurement Scores in the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.

Source: Overdrive Magazine