The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a revised regulatory proposal March 13 that would require commercial truck and bus companies to install electronic logging devices (ELD) to monitor compliance with hours-of-service rules.
The revised proposal replaces a version previously vacated by a federal appeals court after it was challenged by the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).
In the new Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM), FMCSA proposes to require electronic-logging devices within two years of a final rule in keeping with a requirement in the 2012 highway bill.
The proposal prohibits motor carriers from harassing drivers with information from an ELD, a violation of which carries an $11,000 fine.
The SNPRM also proposes that paper print-outs of ELD data be considered an acceptable means of demonstrating hours-of-service compliance without requiring all ELDs to be printer-equipped.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) welcomed the proposed rule, saying it supported FMCSA’s efforts to mandate these devices as a way to improve safety and compliance in the trucking industry and to level the playing field with fleets that have already voluntarily moved to this technology.
OOIDA said it is still reviewing the proposal, according to published reports.
The SNPRM has been submitted to the Federal Register, which kicks off a 60-day comment period.
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