ATA welcomes electronic logging device proposal.
Press Release Summary:
ATA officials welcomed proposal by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to mandate use of electronic logging devices in commercial trucks as potential improvement for highway safety. ATA successfully advocated for inclusion of provision mandating ELDs in most recent highway authorization law. ATA has a few concerns with some details relating to supporting document retention requirements and grandfathering of existing devices, among others, and will address those with FMCSA going forward.
Original Press Release:
ATA Welcomes Electronic Logging Device Proposal
ARLINGTON, Va., -- Today, American Trucking Associations officials said they welcomed the proposal by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to mandate the use of electronic logging devices in commercial trucks as a potential improvement for highway safety.
"ATA supports FMCSA's efforts to mandate these devices in commercial vehicles as a way to improve safety and compliance in the trucking industry and to level the playing field with thousands for fleets that have already voluntarily moved to this technology," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.
"It is past time to replace pencil and paper with 21st Century technology," said ATA Chairman Phil Byrd, president of Bulldog Hiway Express, Charleston, S.C.
ATA successfully advocated for inclusion of a provision mandating ELDs in the most recent highway authorization law.
"We're pleased that we're now seeing a proposal from FMCSA," said ATA Executive Vice President Dave Osiecki. "After carefully considering stakeholder input on this proposal, we urge the agency to move quickly to craft a final rule that ensures deployment of tamper-proof equipment, while still ensuring the regulatory flexibility needed to accommodate the diversity of the trucking industry and the ELD vendor community.
"We especially appreciate FMCSA proposing that paper printouts of ELD data be an acceptable means of demonstrating hours of service compliance, but not requiring all ELDs to be printer-equipped," he added.
The devil is always in the details, and ATA has a few concerns with some details relating to supporting document retention requirements and grandfathering of existing devices, among others, and will address those with FMCSA going forward.
American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Good stuff. Trucks Bring It!
CONTACT: Sean McNally, 703-838-1995, smcnally@trucking.org
Web Site: http://www.trucking.org
