Posted On: January 29, 2007 by Jeff Lowe
Proposed Federal Mandatory Electronic Onboard Recorders in Commercial Vehicles

In my experience in dealing with trucking companies, it is one of the worst kept secrets in the industry that many over-the-road truck drivers falsify the log books that they are required to keep pursuant to federal regulations. In an attempt to address this situation as needed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on January 11th proposed federal regulations that would require certain truck and bus companies with a history of serious hours of service violations to be required to install electronic on-board recorders in all of their commercial vehicles for a minimum of two years. The proposed rule would also encourage industry wide use of on-board recording devices which are sometimes referred to as black boxes by providing incentives for voluntary use. This rule would also for the first time mandate that these recorders keep track of hours of service data and location tracking information, such as global positioning systems data. The current federal performance standards for the recorders already in use by trucking fleets date back to 1988 before wide-spread use of GPS, wireless communications were in common use.
As an attorney who practices in the trucking accident area, I personally believe that it is long past due that trucking companies be required to use recorders on their commercial vehicles. This rule is a start by targeting the worst offenders, and providing incentives to encourage industry use of recorders, as well as to update performance standards on the recorders. This type of data in a trucking accident, can lead to objective data to prove who was actually at fault in a truck crash.
The proposed rule requires the use of recorders that track the driver's duty status, identity, date, time and location among carriers against trucking companies who demonstrated a 10% or greater violation rate, for any of the hours regulations as determined by compliance reviews during a two year period. Trucking and bus companies that meet this criteria would have to equip their entire fleets with recorders for a minimum of two years. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimated that 930 trucking companies and common carriers and 17,500 drivers would fall under this requirement if the rule took effect as of June 11, 2007.
The FMCSA stated that it would like the recorders to be more common among the 650,000 motor carriers in the United States. The proposed rule also contained another incentive for trucking companies to update their fleets now before the new rule takes effect. Under the proposed rule, once the final rule takes effects it would start a two year time period which newly installed recorders would have to meet the new technical requirements of the rule. Trucking companies that voluntarily install recorders before that time would be allowed to continue using those devices for the life of the truck. According to the FMCSA, the goal is to get more trucks and buses using innovative safety technologies and that on-board recorders that will improve safety on the nation's highways.
The American Trucking Association, a truck driver organization, announced its support of the proposed rule. The ATA stated that it was pleased that the Department of Transportation has taken another step toward assuring future gains in improved highway safety. The ATA President, Bill Graves, stated that "We support this incentive-based approach to the use of electronic on-board recorders. Technology can play a significant role in enhancing road safety and help to ensure the reliability of commercial vehicle operations."
I also support these proposed rules. Under the current hours of service rules, a truck driver can drive as many as 8 uninterrupted hours in a day, and can drive additional hours after a mandated rest. With these liberal regulations, drivers who violate those regulations are a hazard on the road and if it is known that their companies will have objective evidence that they violated these rules, they will be much more likely to comply with the safety based rules.
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On board records also protect the drivers. In the long run it is going to show how much time and work a driver does not driving. Thus forcing the companies to acknowledge that side of the job and start paying accordingly.

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I'm not sure this has anything to do with politics.

Unless you drive illegally, what's the big deal?

Like she said, it also protects the driver.

Also it can drive UP wages since barney, goober and bubba can't work for free anymore... no matter HOW much they want to..

here is what it will do to the drivers.....
In case of an accident, reguadless of who's at fault, if the driver is 15 minutes off(either ahead or behind) it will automatically be his fault.
it will not allow the driver to take a nap cause of the pressure of getting black box. Which will make a tired driver.
It will give companies the opotunity to find something to fire the driver for.
Give the DOT a reason to give the driver a ticket.
If your a driver, and your looking for independence then your not going to like em.
If your a steering wheel holder, and like having qual coms, and tracking devises to hold your hand, then you will like it.

Thats the same BS that gave drivers when the log book and deregulation came into the trucking industry.

So let me get this straight. You think someone can be ahead of or behind an OBRD... that would be a real toughy.

You believe that the professional driver of today cannot function without a nap every day...

You think a company will fire someone for using an OBRD when the are following the rules regs and speed laws...

You think that for some reason that using something like OBRD's will mean that the driver is less skilled? LOL!!!

That was entertaining!!!!

How would you know?

You must a swift or JB steering wheel holder who does everything by the book cause if you don't that little box that has you by the hand, will slap the other hand. It's good that you have something to make you do your job the very way your company says you have to do your job. I bet you feel special that your company cares so much for you that it's willing to hold your hand the whole time your working.
It's a shame that your company doesn't trust you enough to make your own decisions.

While that was a completely predictable answer from you.. how about trying to answer the questions or address the topic. I guess the people who you are used to brow beating would take the bait and get into some adolescent "pee pee length" contest...

I just look at what you post, consider the source and see yet another example of a driver who couldn't be a professional if he tried and one who is threatened and of course jealous of those who are.... Maybe someday you'll wake up, but I doubt it.