Get those e-logs rolling: TCA

SAN DIEGO — To no one’s surprise, the association for fleets who specialize in truckload cargo has come out strongly in favor of  legislation mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs).

The Board of Directors of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced their support for the devices at the organization’s annual policy conference in San Diego this week.

The announcement comes as the American Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration is tweaking its mandatory EOBR legislation.

According to David Heller, the TCA’s Director of Safety, the organization elected to support ELDs specifically instead of EOBRs. What’s the diff?

According to Heller, ELDs are less restrictive for truckers.

EOBRs can measure a full range of operational items, such as hard braking and engine performance, while "ELD" category just measures driver hours so they can include simpler electronic logging devices.

“Some ELDs you can download to your cellphones.”

“Other than that, it’s almost like a potato-potahto thing,” he told www.todaystrucking.com.

The TCA’s new policy specifies several areas for consideration in the development of laws or regulations that would mandate them – many of them similar to what EOBR proponents are asking for:

– ELDs should be based on the minimal, functional, and performance specifications necessary to accurately record and report HOS compliance and assure reliability and utility of operation.

– Except for HOS compliance data, statutory protections should be afforded to carriers pertaining to the control, ownership, and admissibility/discoverability of data generated and derived from ELDs, and to assure the privacy rights of drivers.

– Any ELD regulation must address the operational diversity of the trucking industry, continue existing exceptions to the record of duty status, and consider additional exemptions that balance compliance and the evolving industry diversity.

– Motor carriers using compliant ELDs should be relieved of the burden of retaining supporting documents for verification of driving time.

— Any ELD mandate, if instituted, should be made simultaneously applicable to all vehicles of the affected population of motor carriers. It should avoid any implementation inequities identified and take measures to eliminate them.

— Tax incentives should be pursued as a means to facilitate adoption of ELD systems.