FMCSA grants ELD exemptions

The struggle to incorporate Electronic Log Devices into the trucking industry continues, resistance gains traction as the December 18, 2017 deadline draws near.

A brief outline of the recent exemptions granted:

– UPS’s (United Parcel Service) request that drivers be allowed to change duty status outside of and away from their vehicle has been granted by the FMCSA for a five year minimum. The change in status will be made via drivers’ mobile device-based ELDs.

– A second waiver allowing carriers to make multiple yard moves without numerous re-entries on a mobile device was also granted. It, too, will serve for a five year minimum. The FMCSA requires the ELD must be able to switch to “driving” mode when needed, when the truck exceeds 20mph, or when the truck exits a geo-fenced yard.

– However, an exemption requested by a water hauling fleet was refused due to the company’s lack of proof regarding lack of cab space. The company argued that the trucks rarely travel; the FMCSA countered that it had not seen a demonstration of how a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level achieved with an ELD would occur without one.