Are you prepared for the new mandate?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that starting on December 16, 2017, truck operators will be required to use electronic logging devices to record their duty status. This electronic logging device mandate was first published in the Federal Register in December of 2015, but the FMCSA opted to give operators and carriers time to comply.
Although drivers will not need to maintain paper logs after the mandate, supporting documentation will be required and carriers must keep the proper records on file.
Why did the FMCSA pass this rule?
The FMCSA predicts that this new rule will save at least 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries in the industry every year. Due to the amount of time saved because of the decrease in paperwork, over $1 billion is expected to be saved by the industry every year.
Who will this rule affect?
If a driver was required to maintain documents of duty status before this rule was instated, they will be affected unless they meet one of the three exceptions listed below:
- The driver currently keeps records in fewer than 9 working days per month
- The driver works in tow-away or drive-away operations
- The driver is operating a vehicle that was created in or before the year 2000
- The driver currently keeps records in fewer than 9 working days per month
- The driver works in tow-away or drive-away operations
- The driver is operating a vehicle that was created in or before the year 2000
What are supporting documents?
Drivers will be required to maintain up to eight supporting documents for every period of 24 hours that they were on duty. These documents can be either paper or electronic.
The FMCSA listed the following items as potential supporting documents:
- Bills of lading
- Itineraries
- Schedules
- Dispatch records
- Payroll records
- Expense reports
The full list of supporting documents can be found here.
What standards must the logging devices conform to in order to meet the ELD mandate?
ELDs are required to be able to record the following things:
- Date, time, and location information
- Vehicle miles
- Vehicle miles
- Engine hours
- ID information
- Ability to transfer data on-demand through wireless services
The implementation of electronic logging devices is a big step forward for driver safety in the industry. If you have any further questions about ELDs or this mandate, please check out the FAQ on the FMCSA's website.
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