With two years until the December 2017 deadline, most small trucking firms are taking the long road when it comes to installing federally required electronic logging devices (ELD).
ELDs mandatory starting December 2017
Truck drivers have traditionally kept track of their hours using paper documents. However, the government, with safety in mind, implemented a mandate requiring them to begin using ELDs by December 2017. The devices will improve efforts to track how many hours individual drivers spend on the road in an effort to limit them. Too much time driving can lead to fatigue, which is dangerous for any driver, especially one hauling as much weight as truckers.
Though the technology necessary to track drivers has been available for some time, arguments about how it could affect them have prevented any requirements from being implemented until recently, The Wall Street Journal explained. Concerns over whether the devices are a violation of driver privacy, or whether they could be used inappropriately, kept ELDs at bay for some time. However, there are trucking firms that have been using them voluntarily.
What exactly will these devices be tracking? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) required that truck driver shifts max out at 14 hours, with a maximum of 11 hours spent driving. This should be followed by a break of at least 10 hours. However, the traditionally used paper logging documents can be easily manipulated, allowing truckers to drive more, potentially to the point of fatigue.
Shippers concerned trucking firms are too slow on ELDs
The deadline for installing ELDs in truck cabs is a long way off though, and many smaller firms are holding out until late 2017, the Journal of Commerce (JOC) reported. This has some U.S. shippers concerned, because many of them are depending on these small trucking operations to comply with ELD requirements before the December 2017 deadline comes around.
A survey of 1,300 trucking operators determined 84 percent had yet to install ELDs, according to the JOC. Most of the respondents operated between one and five trucks. While shippers are anxious about smaller trucking firms' decision to hold off on ELDs, Thayne Boren, general manager of Truckstop.com mobile solutions, told the JOC that people often wait until the last minute before making these kinds of changes.
"A lot of people wait until the last minute," he told the publication. "A lot of people will get close to that December deadline before choosing a vendor."
He added that there isn't an ELD on the market that meets the FMCSA mandate standards. Until that point, trucking operations are in what Boren called "the Wild West phase." Plus, truckers have to undergo training before they are able to use ELDs, which could delay implementation even further.
However, shippers aren't as confident that small trucking firms will meet the deadline. Some told the JOC that they're already asking trucking operations about their approaches to ELDs in contract talks. They're requesting timelines that detail when trucking operations will be totally complaint with the FMCSA ELD mandate. However, there are numerous concerns these trucking firms must confront before choosing an ELD. Price is one issue, but not the most significant one according to Boren.
"The most important thing in making that decision is reputation, they want to have a reputable partner, not a fly by night," he told the JOC.
In addition, trucking operations are looking for ELDs that offer more than just compliance. Truck tracking and preventative maintenance scheduling are among the features they are looking for, Boren told the JOC.