A federal survey of truck drivers concluded that instances of carrier harassment are rare, and that drivers who use electronic logging devices generally are not subjected to harassment more frequently than those who use paper logs.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was bombarded with more than 1,600 comments on its electronic logging device proposed rule as of June 25 — the day before the comment period officially closed.

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study released May 12 concludes that longhaul trucks with electronic logging devices had significantly lower crash rates than those without them.

Many fleet managers already use electronic logging devices, but still welcome the new federal proposal because it will require their competitors to do so as well.

Truck technology vendors said they see no major flaws in the federal government’s new proposal to require electronic logging devices in commercial trucks, but they are seeking further clarification on some facets of the expected rule.

It took a while to happen, but it appears at first glance that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration did a pretty good job with the electronic logging device proposal that is due for official publication on March 17.

The trucking industry and makers of electronic logging devices started 2014 braced for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to publish its long-awaited rule.