Carriers Boost EOBR Purchases Ahead of Expected Federal Rule

or-hire carriers are increasing purchases of electronic data recorders to better manage safety, driver retention and scheduling issues, and also because they expect a federal requirement, providers of the units said.

Ron Konezny, chief operating officer of PeopleNet, said 36% of the company’s clients that use electronic driver logs are for-hire carriers. “This figure was less than 10% three years ago,” he told Transport Topics.

Konezny said many carriers are buying electronic onboard recorders, or EOBRs, because they expect the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to require them for monitoring compliance with driver-hours rules. FMCSA said last month it was delaying the timetable for publishing an EOBR rule until the fall.