ATA endorses EOBR policy to monitor driver hours of service
ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations’ membership has endorsed a policy supporting federal laws and regulations that would require trucking companies to use electronic logging devices to monitor driver Hours-of-Service.
“ATA has always been in favor of strong enforcement of safety rules and regulations,” said ATA president and CEO Bill Graves. “This new policy just underlines that support.”
“FMCSA’s own safety monitoring program, CSA, shows a link between compliance with the current hours-of-service rules and carrier safety performance,” Graves said. “In addition to showing that the current hours-of-service rules are working, that data shows us that increasing compliance with those rules will further improve trucking’s already impressive safety record.”
While ATA’s new policy expresses support for an electronic logging mandate, ATA says it believes any regulation or law should also address several issues including:
– Cost-effective device specifications allowing for accurate recording of driving hours;
– Data ownership and access in order to protect the privacy of fleets and drivers alike; and
– Relief from the current burden of retaining additional supporting documentation.
“Many fleets already use these devices and they report not only compliance and safety gains, but also improved efficiency,” said Dave Osiecki, ATA senior vice-president of policy and regulatory affairs. “Those benefits make supporting an electronic logging requirement good business.”
ATA’s new policy was hailed by safety advocates as a positive step toward making our nation’s highways safer for all drivers.
“We are very pleased that the ATA has decided to add their considerable weight to the call for both electronic logging as well as speed limiter settings at a reasonable top speed for our nation’s heavy trucks. We had been concerned that either of these initiatives, without the other, could lead to unintended dangerous consequences,” said Steve Owings, president of Road Safe America. “We firmly believe that the two together are complementary and will add greatly to our nation’s roadway safety situation. We want to publicly thank the ATA for stepping up and taking a leadership position on both of these common-sense safety matters, which will undoubtedly make America’s public thoroughfares safer for all motorists.”
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the key paragraph:
“Many fleets already use these devices and they report not only compliance and safety gains, but also improved efficiency,” said Dave Osiecki, ATA senior vice-president of policy and regulatory affairs. “Those benefits make supporting an electronic logging requirement good business.”
ebors are only about the carrier maximizing all available drivers hours, fleet wide.
that is the only truthful fact
welcome to the new world of technology dictating when and where drivers rest, sleep and drive; technology sold as guaranteeing that drivers will be fully rested and alert at all times…..
thats the biggest lie that the proponents of technology have successfully convinced the public with.
The fundamental factor in large truck accidents is high “stress”, which clouds the drivers “situational awareness”. there are many factors which causes stress, almost as many factors as as there are drivers. None of this “political push” for technology (such as ebors and speed limiters), reduces driver stress. in some cases this “technology” will “high stress” a driver. in others it may reduce stress.
“technology” does however reduce carrier “complance stress” as it is shifted to technology.
this industry is so blind issues of the one whom sits in the drivers seat. they spend millions of $, year after year, studying drivers and still the cant figure it out….
zz
To the last to comments, I agree.
And just who is the ATA anyway? They say they speak for the trucking industry but they do not. They speak for the corporate giants in trucking with thousands of trucks and unlimited budgets for “safety” issues which boil down to driver oppression and corporate profits.
As stated we are as safe as we were in the 70s so why don’t the feds and the ATA get off our backs and regulate someone who kills more every year than trucks ever did… DOCTORS.
Look it up. According to the CDC many more people die every year at the hands of doctors making mistakes than than in automobile crashes.
Thank god that the tree huggers of the free world can be able to regulate an industry that they do not understand.I sure hope that after the dust clears and we drivers are turned into good little robots that we drivers are able to put a stop to overworked er doctors and surgeons who have our pityful lives in the palm of their hands and the ink in their pens when they put in 16 plus hours a day.