The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a final rule rescinding a regulation requiring truck drivers to keep a copy of the owner’s manual for their electronic logging device in the vehicle.

FMCSA said in a June 22 Federal Register notice that the final rule eliminates a regulatory burden on motor carriers without compromising safety. 

“The availability of electronic versions of ELD user’s manuals makes the requirement for a paper manual redundant,” FMCSA said. 

Drivers must still understand how to operate the ELD and how to share hours-of-service information with enforcement officials during inspections.

In other actions announced by the agency on June 22:

• FMCSA amended the regulation requiring commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders to self-report vehicle violations. With the implementation of the exclusive electronic exchange (EEE) of violations between state driver’s licensing agencies in 2024, self-reporting is no longer necessary.
• FMCSA also revised a requirement that carriers and intermodal equipment providers sign and return a completed inspection form to the issuing state agency. Not all issuing state agencies require the return of these reports, so requiring businesses “to submit these reports to a state that does not require, or even request, the return of the form creates an unnecessary burden.” 
• FMCSA is seeking comments on a new study that will collect data from states to assess ways to prevent, detect, and enforce drug and alcohol violations among drivers of smaller commercial vehicles that do not require a CDL. While commercial drivers who hold CDLs are subject to strict drug and alcohol testing rules, non-CDL drivers are not.