The electronic logging device mandate is working, said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, as it posted a new infographic on its website it plans to update monthly. FMCSA describes the infographic as a “snapshot of the positive impact electronic logging devices (ELDs) are having on improving hours-of-service compliance on our nation’s roads.”
Since the ELD mandate went fully into effect April 1 with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Out-of-Service criteria for ELDs, less than 1% (4,720) of all driver inspections (559,940) have resulted in the driver being cited for operating without a required ELD or grandfathered AOBRD, the agency reported.
According to the infographic, only 0.64% of driver inspections in May had at least one hours-of-service violation.
Compare this to a year earlier, in May 2017, when 1.31% of driver inspections had at least one hours-of-service violation.
The rate dropped significantly after December 2017, when the first “soft enforcement” phase went into effect, dropping from 1.19% in December to .83% in January. The rate stayed right around that mark for the first quarter of the year, then dropped again once the “hard” deadline hit in April, to .69%.
Meanwhile, trucking interests are pushing for legislation on Capitol Hill that would reform the underlying hours of service regulations, now that strict enforcement is highlighting some of the operational difficulties with the rules, such as the Honest Operators Undertake Road Safety, or HOURS, Act (H.R. 6178). Other bills would ease the rules for specific types of trucking, most specifically livestock haulers.
