Starting on December 18, 2017 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has mandated that all trucks operating in Interstate Commerce on public highways be equipped with electronic logging devices. In most cases the states have followed this guideline and have also mandated the use for intrastate use as well.
As with most regulations, there are some exceptions. And for many of the members BMSA these exceptions/exemptions may apply:
1) Vehicle model is older than 2000. These vehicles are exempt as the Electronic Control Module on the engine will not be compatible with the ELD system.
2) Driver of vehicle over 26,001 pounds requiring a CDL is being operated strictly within a 100-mile radius of the company facility and the driver starts and stops work at the same location each day and the driver does not work a day longer than 12 hours and the company can produce a time card showing the time the driver started his day, when he ended his day and the total hours on duty for the day. These records must be kept for 6 months.
3) Driver of vehicle under 26,000 pounds where the driver does not have to have a CDL license, is operating within a 150-mile radius, is not working over a 14-hour day, starts and stops his work day at the same location and the company can produce a time card showing time the driver started the day, when he ended the day and total hours worked. These records must be kept for 6 months.
4) If a driver noted in (2) or (3) above is required to go outside the allowed mile radiuses less than 8 times in a consecutive 30-day period, then the driver may continue to use paper logs on those days, rather than being required to have an ELD in the truck.
These exceptions can be found in Part 395.8.
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, February 7, 2018 when Todd Olney will give an in-depth two-hour presentation on DOT and FMCSA changes and regulations at our Building Products Show in Hickory, NC.
(Source: Todd Olney, Transportation Risk Management Services, November 2017)