Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
July 19, 2017
From the desk of Wyatt F. Hammond – President of Trans Products and Tran Services
Hello Folks—In the past two days there has been a significant change in the FMCSA ELD regulation. The ELD Extension Act of 2017 was filed on July 18, 2017, in the U.S. House of Representatives, by Representative Brian Babin, and it appears to have a lot of support.
It is unclear if this delays the regulation in its entirety for two years, or just for small (not sure of that definition yet) carriers for two years. Similar wording relating to the delay was included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill introduced yesterday.
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Reasons given for these actions include, but are not limited to, the estimated cost of 2 Billion dollars to the trucking industry, and a directive for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to review ELD manufacturers technology platforms of ELD suppliers “to confirm that devices not only meet standards and specifications necessary for all affected industries and fleet sizes to be compliant, but also provide a user interface that is reasonably easy to navigate.”
On page 40 of this link THUD Appropriations Bill Report you will find the language by the House as part of the Appropriations Bill. After personally been involved in dealing with these kinds of issues since 1979, I can assure you this will be an up and down third and fourth quarter this year. We will be watching and reacting to what happens with great responsibility.
These actions by our Government do not change my belief in our partnerships with our ELD solution, nor my belief in the ELD device/service. Who knows, we may end up with the ELD being just another option for compliance for a while, much like the several different versions of log books we print and the several levels of audit services we perform.