The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently completed its overhaul of the vetting process for Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for truck drivers.
The devices electronically record hours-of-service for truckers to help prevent fatigue-related crashes and ensure compliance with federal safety regulations. The overhaul will help ensure non-compliant devices are blocked.
Previously, it was easier to register non-compliant devices or re-register devices that had been revoked. This led to repeated costly revocations and inconvenient replacements for carriers.
“American families deserve to feel safe sharing a road with semi-trucks, and we want truck drivers to have the best tools to maximize those safety precautions,” Derek Barrs, FMCSA administrator, said. “By strengthening our review process for ELDs, we are ensuring the industry can rely on trusted equipment and that hardworking drivers are prioritizing their health and well-being, so they are best prepared to keep driving America’s economy forward.”
Under the new vetting process, contact information, technical specifications, and device images will be verified, and new applications will be cross checked against active, inactive, revoked, and in-process lists.
Applications that have met all necessary requirements will be approved. The FMCSA also can deny an application, request additional information or conduct an internal assessment that may require additional documentation from the applicant.