ELD Rule Planned for September
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates it will post the final electronic logging mandate next September.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates it will post the final electronic logging mandate next September.
The rule will require most drivers to eventually switch from paper to electronic logs. It also will set standards for the devices and the supporting documents that regulators need to confirm compliance, and protect drivers from harassment.
After the rule is published, carriers will have two years to comply. And carriers that already use electronic logging devices that meet current specifications will have two years to bring those devices into compliance with the new specs.
The September date is not exact. The agency is now analyzing the more than 2,200 comments and plans to submit a final rule to the office of the Secretary of Transportation in May. After that office completes its review, the rule goes to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which may accept the rule as it is or may ask FMCSA to make changes.
Any one of these steps could add more time to the process, which is not unusual.
A related rule that would set up penalties for coercing drivers also is scheduled for next September.
In its monthly update of its regulatory calendar, the agency also said it plans to post a safety fitness determination proposal next April.
This proposal will set forth the agency’s plans for using its CSA safety enforcement system to determine whether or not a carrier is safe enough to operate. The final rule probably won’t be ready until 2016.
Also in process:
A final drug and alcohol clearinghouse rule is due next October. It will set up a central database for carriers to check drivers’ history with controlled substances as part of the hiring process.
A final rule that will rescind the requirement that drivers submit inspection reports when there’s nothing wrong with the truck is at OMB and is close to publication.
A proposal to set higher insurance minimums for carriers will show up any day.
A proposal by FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require speed limiters on heavy trucks is scheduled for publication next March.
More Safety & Compliance

ATRI Wants Motor Carriers for Driver-Facing Camera Study
In this new study, the American Transportation Research Institute will explore how driver-facing cameras can impact safety and operational metrics in trucking fleets.
Read More →
Netradyne Intelligence Uses New AI Agents to Automate Response to In-Cab Camera Data
The company called the next-generation in-cab camera safety platform "a fundamental shift from systems that report on what happened to systems that actively drive what should happen next."
Read More →
Mack, Volvo Issue ‘Do Not Drive’ Recall on Possible Wheel-Offs
Owners will be sent advance notice not to operate their affected vehicles until the remedy is performed.
Read More →
Fleetworthy Integrates Lytx Video Snapshots into Safety+ Platform
A new Fleetworthy-Lytx integration gives fleet managers access to video context alongside safety event data, streamlining driver coaching and incident review.
Read More →How Waste Connections is Using Data, Telematics, and AI
How do you manage and maintain more than 18,000 connected trucks? Data. Lots of it.
Read More →
Fleet Advantage: Top Logistics Fleets Outperform National Safety Benchmarks
Fleet Advantage's latest TRUST Safety Index found leading logistics fleets maintained significantly lower out-of-service rates and stronger safety scores than national averages, while highlighting persistent challenges related to tires, brakes, and unsafe driving behaviors.
Read More →
Why Fleet Data Matters More Than Ever at Waste Connections [Watch]
Waste Connections' Chuck Palmer explains how telematics, predictive maintenance, safety analytics, and AI help keep vehicles on the road and drivers safe in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking.
Read More →
Short Takes: How K&B is Using AI
Fleets need to "get on board the train" with AI, says Lance Evans of K&B Transportation in this HDT Talks Trucking Short Takes episode.
Read More →Short Takes: Inside K&B’s Truck Safety Tech
Listen to learn how K&B Transportation uses cellphone-blocking technology, speed management systems, weather geofencing, bridge avoidance tools, and more to improve driver safety.
Read More →
The Biggest Gap in Driverless Trucking Isn’t Tech. It’s Safety Validation
Nauto’s Stefan Heck says autonomous trucks are advancing quickly but proving they’re safe enough for large-scale deployment may be the industry’s hardest challenge.
Read More →
