ATA, FMCSA come together to defend electronic logging proposal

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has set aside its beef with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) over hours-of-service, in order to file an amicus brief supporting its stance on electronic on-board recorders.

The association filed the brief Feb. 24 with the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, supporting the agency’s defense of electronic logging devices.

“ATA supports the use of electronic logging devices, which have demonstrated the ability to improve carriers’ compliance with FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulations,” ATA president and CEO Bill Graves said. “With this filing, we urge the Court to reject the calls to prevent fleets from using these powerful compliance tools.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) successfully overturned the agency’s attempt to mandate electronic logging for carriers with a history of HoS violations, arguing the devices could be used to harass drivers.

“Thousands of responsible, safety-minded truck fleets throughout this country voluntarily use this technology to ensure their drivers are complying with federal hours-of-service requirements,” Graves said. “The Court should dismiss this challenge and reaffirm the longstanding authorization to voluntarily use electronic logging devices while FMCSA works toward addressing questions about a future, wider mandate for their use.”

Meanwhile, closer to home, the Canadian Trucking Alliance continues to run a text message campaign to convince lawmakers to roll out an EOBR mandate. The alliance is encouraging drivers and fleet owners who support an EOBR mandate to text the letters eobr to the number, 77777. Or, to send the letter in French, text: eobrfrench to 77777 to register their support.
 

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  • If this passes, I will quit long – haul trucking for good. This is the same industry that doesn’t pass its’ increased profits along to the drivers. I have not had a pay raise in almost 12 years, I get no pension, and there is more b*llshit limiting drivers’ ways of making a decent living without working for free all the time. This industry s*cks.

  • It really does s/ck! I sometimes wish I never got into this line of work and look forward to the day I tell them all to KMA! But, I will always stand with band support OOIDA regardless of what I do for a living since no one else cares about the truck drivers who continue to keep this country moving.