Union Voices Opposition to On-board Driver Monitors

The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department is raising a warning flag on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to use electronic on-board data recorders to track whether long-haul truck drivers are complying with hours of service regulations.

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“Significant questions remain regarding the use of this technology. Besides the fact that the technology is prohibitively expensive and unlikely to improve safety, it represents an intrusive and overly broad violation of personal privacy,” claims a policy resolution approved by TTD at the organization’s convention held July 21-22 in Washington, DC.

The resolution expresses concern that the data collected by the recorders could be used by employers to pressure drivers to increase productivity.

“Already, drivers who work with global positioning systems have reported being disciplined for having too low an average speed or for taking a rest break that was immediately detectable by the GPS,” the resolution states.

For the full story, see the July 31 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.