FMCSA Publishes Notice To Collect Information For Electronic Logging Device Vendor Registration
By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer
Although legislation to require electronic logging devices (ELDs) on interstate commercial trucks and buses is not final, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published a notice in the Federal Register on Oct. 28, 2014, announcing its plan to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for electronic logging device vendor registration. The notice states, “This ICR will be used to enable manufacturers of ELDs to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).” Public comment on the ICR will be accepted until Dec. 29, 2014.
The notice also includes background information on the proposed regulation. In March, the FMCSA published “Electronic Logging Devices and Hours of Service Supporting Documents,” (79 FR 17656), “which proposed to require the use of ELDs by those within the motor carrier industry who are currently subject to Records of Duty Status (RODS) preparation requirements.”
The final rule proposed technical specification for the ELDs; ELD providers will be asked to self-certify and register their devices that meet requirements with the FMCSA.
In the notice in the Federal Register the FMCSA states, “The FMCSA will maintain a list on its website of the current ELD providers and devices that have been certified (by the providers) to meet the technical specifications. The information will be necessary for fleets and drivers to easily find a compliant ELD for their use in meeting the FMCSA regulation requiring the use of ELDs.”
The proposed rule announced in March followed a 2010 final rule that the FMCSA would require ELDs. On Aug. 26, 2011, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated the FMCSA’s Final Rule, stating that the agency did not address the potential for ELDs to be used to harass drivers or the prevention of harassment. The FMCSA responded with a study of the issue and work on a new proposed rule. One response to the new proposed rule was the American Trucking Association’s urging to address device design and performance specifications.
What The Future Holds For The FMCSA
According to FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Jack Van Steenberg in a HDT Trucking Info article, the federal agency has a full slate for 2015, including setting the rules for the use of electronic logging systems. In the article, Steenberg says, “There is a lot to consider when it comes to the electronic logging devices. We want to get it right, and we want to get it right the first time.”
The agency also plans to introduce new tools for investigators to use in the field, such as software useful in conducting reviews dealing with compliance while operating off site.