FMCSA Adopts ELD Final Rule

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) adopted a final rule to improve roadway safety by employing technology to strengthen commercial truck and bus drivers’ compliance with hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that prevent fatigue. 

The Impact in Numbers
The final rule requires the use of electronic logging devices (ELD), which will result in an annual net benefit of more than $1 million by increasing efficiency of roadside law enforcement personnel in reviewing driver records, according to the FMCSA. ELDs automatically record driving time, monitor engine hours, vehicle movement, miles driven and location information.

The ELD final rule is estimated to save 25 lives and prevent 562 injuries resulting from crashes involving large commercial motor vehicles each year. Regulations limit the number of hours commercial drivers can be on-duty and still drive, as well as the number of hours spent driving. These limitations were designed to prevent driver fatigue, and require work breaks with sufficient off-duty rest periods before drivers return to on-duty status.

4 Areas Covered in the Final Rule

• Adoption time frame
  Requiring commercial truck and bus drivers who currently use paper log books to maintain hours-of-service records to adopt ELDs within two years of inception. Approximately 3 million drivers will be impacted.
   
• Strictly prohibiting commercial driver coersion
  The final rule provides provisions designed to protect commercial truck and bus drivers from harassment from their employers as a result of privacy concerns and information generated by ELDs.
   
• Setting technology specifications with performance and design requirements for ELDs 
  Specifications were designated to ensure that manufacturers produce compliant devices and systems, and allow purchasers to make informed decisions.
   
• Updated HOS requirements
  Establishing new HOS supporting document (shipping documents, fuel purchase receipts, etc.) requirements that will result in reduced paperwork.  In most cases, a motor carrier would not be required to supply documents verifying on-duty driving time.

The Telematics Solution
Blue Tree Telematics fully complies with U.S. and Canadian rules by offering live vehicle and location status information, letting fleet managers view fuel levels, reefer status, available working hours and more. The HOS Advisor feature simplifies the rules and instructs drivers on how to maximize their available working hours.

MHC Truck Leasing offers Blue Tree Telematics technology on all its vehicles. This technology features capabilities to easily identify areas where truck drivers and fleet managers can improve performance, offering up to 10 percent in fuel cost savings and improving road safety. Talk to your local MHC Truck Leasing representative to learn more about Blue Tree Telematics today.