OOIDA ELD exemption request denied

by Truck News

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. – Small-business truckers will continue to be subject to the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate in the U.S. after an exemption request was denied by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA).

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) made the exemption request eight months ago, before the ELD mandate came into effect Dec. 18, hoping to help small business truckers avoid what it calls costly and unnecessary upgrades.

The request was seeking a five-year exemption for motor carriers classified as small businesses according to the Small Business Administration and with a proven safety history with no attributable at-fault crashes, and who do not have a Carrier Safety Rating of “Unsatisfactory.”

“We are puzzled and disappointed at the response from the agency. For months, the FMCSA has been granting exemptions to other organizations, some not even actually in trucking, but relying on trucks for their businesses,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA.

The group is concerned about the ability of ELD providers to self-certify, saying most small business owners can’t afford to purchase devices and later find out they’re non-compliant with the mandate. A five-year exemption would have allowed owner-operators to purchase ELDs after manufacturers a chance to become market-tested.

A so-called “soft” rollout period for the ELD mandate ended April 1, drivers not compliant with the new regulation after that date face fines or other penalties including being put out-of-service.


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  • ANOTHER WRONG DECISION BY A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. ANY CARRIER WHO HAS A PROVEN SAFETY RECORD SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THESE (E.L.D) DEVICES. MOST OF THESE AGENCIES ARE MANAGED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER DONE THIS WORK MANUALLY IN THEIR LIVES., BUT, FIGURE THEY KNOW IT ALL ON PAPER.,BUT, IN THE REAL WORLD IT DOSEN’T WORK THAT WAY. IF, YOU ARE A DRIVER OR A CARRIER WITH A POOR SAFETY RATING & WITH SEVERAL VIOLATION’S ON RECORD. FINE, THEY SHOULD BE OBLIGED TO USE A ELECTRONIC LOGGING DEVICE TO CONTROL THEIR HOUR’S OF DUTY & DRIVING HABIT’S. OTHERWISE.,IF YOU HAVE MAINTAINED A PROVEN SAFETY RECORD IN PAST HISTORY OF A GIVEN TRUCKING COMPANY.,REGARDLESS OF SIZE. THIS LAW SHOULD NOT APPLY TO THOSE. THE SAME GOES WITH TRUCK’S HAVING BEEN GOVERNED FOR THEIR ROADSPEED TRAVELLED. YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A “ROCKET” SCIENTIST TO UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY TRUCK’S ARE INVOLVED IN HIGHWAY ACCIDENT’S. SO MANY OF THESE NEW DRIVER’S TODAY ARE DRIVING THESE TRUCK’S LIKE THEY THINK THEY ARE PART OF A TRAIN GOING DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING EACH OTHER WITH THEIR FOOT FLAT-OUT TO THE FLOOR IN THE TRUCK THEY ARE DRIVING.,BECAUSE THEY AREN’T ABLE TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ANYONE.,SO EVENTUALLLY WITH TIME THEY FALL INTO A VERY BAD ROUTINE OF JUST FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE.,AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.,AS SOON AS THE FIRST MISTAKE IS MADE UP FRONT.,IT BECOME’S A DOMINO AFFECT & A MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENT IS FORMED FROM PURE NEGLIGENCE OF UN-SKILLED DRIVER TRAINING THAT SO MANY COMPANIES HIRE TO RUN THEIR EQUIPMENT UP & DOWN THE ROAD’S IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE LAW’S IN PLACE THAT YOU WANT.,BUT UN-LESS A DRIVER HAS THE PROPER TRAINING IN HOW TO OPERATE A TRUCK CORRECTLY.,ALL OF THESE LAW’S ARE WORTH-LESS.,WAKE-UP & SMELL THE COFFEE “PEOPLE” !

  • This exemptions should happen but all trucking companies using it should to pay $22.00 U.S. per hour plus overtime after 10 hours per day plus medical insurance while on U.S soil. 716 800 5814