Citing the government’s response to the increasing number of exemption requests for the electronic logging device (ELD) rule, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) called on Tuesday for implementation of the rule to be delayed.
Authorized by Congress under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, the ELD rule requires commercial operators to use electronic devices that synchronize with engines to automatically record driving times and hours of service.
So far, 12 organizations have filed requests for exemptions, and 31 organizations have requested delays.
“The reasons cited in the requests are not unique to just a single company or one sector of the trucking industry,” Todd Spencer, the executive vice president of OOIDA, said. “Many of those same concerns apply to all affected by this one-size-fits-all mandate.”
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) has failed to consistently apply the law when considering requests, exemptions, and delays, Spencer added, and delaying implementation of the rule would be the best way to address confusion and concern surrounding the issue.
“In one instance, they denied the request, and in a couple of others, they granted the requests, but in none of these did FMCSA’s decisions show any consistency in reasoning,” Spencer said.
The OOIDA has called for the implementation of the ELD rule to be delayed until FMCSA addresses unresolved issues raised by stakeholders ranging from technological challenges to real-world application.
“The ELD mandate is estimated to cost impacted stakeholders more than $2 billion, making it one of the most expensive federal transportation rulemakings over the last decade,” Spencer concluded. “This is a massive, unfunded mandate that provides no safety, economic, or productivity benefits for those ensnared by the mandate. This is another example of a costly regulation imposed on small-business truckers that has no bearing on safety.”