Compliance with a federal mandate to use electronic logging devices to record driver hours of service is on the rise, but the rollout is causing challenges for some carriers and drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. and the Motion Picture Association of America exemptions from hours-of-service regulations pertaining to the electronic logging device mandate.

The Agricultural Retailers Association has requested an exemption from the electronic logging device rule that took effect Dec. 18, according to a notice published Dec. 27 in the Federal Register by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

With the federal electronic logging device mandate now in effect, some freight brokers are surveying their carriers about compliance with the rule, taking a proactive step now to help prevent supply chain disruptions later, logistics executives said.

The Dec. 18 phase-in of the mandate for electronic logging devices might be THE story in trucking of 2017 — and the mandate's effect will live into 2018 and well beyond.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plans to grant the Truck Renting and Leasing Association a 90-day waiver from the upcoming electronic logging device mandate.

Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill published a letter Nov. 29 asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to delay the electronic logging device rule, a move that prompted a quick response from the trucking industry.

WASHINGTON — A fast-approaching mandate on electronic logging devices would enhance safety across the trucking and freight sectors, Democrats on the House Small Business Committee said Nov. 29.

With the electronic logging device mandate quickly approaching, websites for ELD information and reviews have emerged to help carriers sift through the multitude of systems on the market and find the right fit for their operations.