Schumer to Foxx: Step it Up on ELDs
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx to speed up the rulemaking process that will put electronic logging devices on all trucks to help monitor hours of service compliance.
“This will help ensure that fatigued truckers cannot skirt the rules and inaccurately log the hours, and it is also popular with the vast majority of truckers and others who otherwise do this tracking by hand,” Schumer said in a June 16 statement.
MORE FROM SCHUMER: Raise insurance requirements
Congress mandated in 2012 that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was to come up with an ELD rule by October 2013, a deadline the agency missed.
“This rule-making process has been delayed several times and has yet to result in the issuance of a final rule,” Schumer said in his letter to Foxx. “I urge you to expedite the remaining needed reviews and issue a final rule as soon as possible.
“ELDs will greatly decrease bad actors’ ability to falsify their logbooks and will help remove the most dangerous drivers, those manipulating the rules, from the roads,” Schumer wrote to Foxx.
FMCSA issued a statement that said: “The uniform adoption of electronic logging devices for commercial truck and bus drivers is one of DOT’s top priorities and we are committed to completing the rulemaking process as expeditiously as possible.
“ELDs will make America’s roads safer by helping to ensure that commercial drivers are abiding by the fatigue-prevention rules that govern the number of hours they can work each week so they are alert behind the wheel. In addition to helping fight driver fatigue, electronic logs will use technology to make roadside inspections and investigations more efficient.”
The agency’s rulemaking on ELDs was delayed in part by a legal challenge over possible driver harassment.
FMCSA published its proposed ELD rule in March but is currently taking the public commentary required under the federal rulemaking process. The commentary period ends June 26.
There is a provision in the transportation spending bill that Congress is currently debating that would mandate FMCSA to have the rulemaking process completed by Jan. 30, although some have said they do not know if the agency can make such a deadline.
Once the commentary period has ended, FMCSA must review the comments and make any changes it believes necessary. From there the rule will be sent to the Office of Management and Budget for its review.
