Commercial trucks, buses to use electronic logging devices

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), accepted a Final Rule Thursday, requiring all commercial truck and bus industries to use electronic logging devices (ELDs).

“This is a win for all motorists on our nation’s roadways,” Scott Darling, FMCSA acting administrator, said. “Employing technology to ensure that commercial drivers comply with federal hours-of-service rules will prevent crashes and save lives.”

The purpose of the rule is to improve the safety of U.S. roadways. Using the new technology will help drivers comply with the specific hours-of-service regulations, preventing drivers from growing fatigued and compromising safety.

“Since 1938, complex, on-duty/off-duty logs for truck and bus drivers were made with pencil and paper, virtually impossible to verify,” Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation secretary, said. “This automated technology not only brings logging records into the modern age, it also allows roadside safety inspectors to unmask violations of federal law that put lives at risk.”

Using ELDs will also bring in a yearly net benefit, amounting to more than $1 billion. Most of this benefit is due to decreasing the necessary paperwork that the industry typically uses. The ELDs will also improve roadside law enforcement personnel’s efficiency when they overview records of drivers.