FMCSA to require electronic logging devices for commercial drivers

Beginning Dec. 18, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will require electronic logging devices (ELDs) for all commercial motor vehicle drivers who are required to prepare hours-of-service, records-of-duty status reports. An ELD synchronizes with a vehicle engine to automatically record driving time.

Short-haul operations – driving within a 100-air-mile radius of the driver’s work-reporting location – are exempt from the requirement. The new regulation provides three other exemptions, the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) reports, including one for commercial motor vehicles manufactured before model year 2000.

“The ELD regulation does not change hours-of-service requirements,” NPGA says. “ELDs are only a means by which to record time while performing driving duties.”

In addition to the ELDs, the new regulation requires drivers to retain records-of-duty status and supporting documents for no less than a six-month period, NPGA adds. The additional records are to correct any failure in the ELDs.

According to FMCSA, the new ELD rule is intended to help create a safer work environment for drivers and make it easier and faster to accurately track, manage and share records-of-duty status data.

For more information, visit this webpage. Propane industry members can also contact NPGA’s Sarah Reboli at sreboli@npga.org.