This week the FMCSA granted an ELD exemption to truckers who are driving short-term rental trucks. There are several requirements for trucks to qualify, but the 5-year exemption is due largely to “unintended technical and operational consequences” stemming from the ELD mandate.
Earlier this year, the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) requested an exemption from the ELD rule. In their request they pointed out that many different ELDs aren’t compatible with each other. Since rental trucks would come pre-equipped with an ELD that the driver and company aren’t necessarily used to, it would be incredibly difficult for fleets to adapt to whatever ELD the rental truck came with.
So, the FMCSA has ruled that “drivers of property carrying commercial motor vehicles rented for 8 days or less, regardless of reason, are not required to use an ELD in the vehicle.”
Drivers must still keep paper logs, will remain subject to HOS rules, and will need to keep a copy of the rental agreement in the truck while in operation. Interestingly, drivers must also carry along with them a copy of the exemption notice, presumably to show law enforcement officers who may not have heard about the regulation.
The trade association that applied for the exemption, TRALA, is made up of large and small rental companies including Ryder, Penske, U-Haul, and more.
According to Overdrive, of the 429 comments that were submitted to the FMCSA during the public comment period on the exemption request, more than 95% were in favor of the exemption. The American Trucking Association and Truckload Carrier’s Association both pushed for the ELD mandate, but submitted pro-exemption comments. Meanwhile the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which remains staunchly anti-ELD mandate, submitted an anti-exemption comment.
“We acknowledge TRALA’s concerns about unintended technical and operational consequences that will be imposed as a result of the ELD mandate,” wrote OOIDA executive vice president, Todd Spencer. “However, these issues are not exclusive to the truck renting and leasing industry.”
That sentiment is repeated multiple times by Spencer in the letter, calling out many of TRALA’s complaints as being problems shared by others in the trucking industry.
“The ELD final rule is flawed and exempting one segment of the trucking industry will not change that,” concludes Spencer. “For these reasons, we oppose TRALA’s request for an exemption and urge FMCSA to deny it.”
Source: overdrive, gobytrucknews, truckinginfo, trala, federalregister, gpo, FMCSA
I am an editor. It is improper to use an abbreviation which the general public is unable to decode. The correct way to present an abbreviation that will be used frequently in a story is this: When the phrase to be abbreviated is first used, it must be spelled out and abbreviated parenthetically. For example: Ergonomic Lateral Dimension (ELD) is an important factor in car design. ELD is used in preparing computer simulations.
Martin, since this story is from Truckers Report I think they knew that the readers would know that the article is talking about Electronic Logging Devices. So there would be no need to spell it out. Just in case you didn’t know what it meant I just told you.
I am a Truck Driver. If the editor kept up with the changes in our industry, he would know what the story pertains to when the term ELD is used. LOL..
Exactly Tim 😊😊😊
You being an editor have your self proven why the public, at least the trucking public have so little confidence in those of your station. If you want to plat in this lane you better get up to speed, the learning curve is quit sever !
It is only improper if the writing is intended for the general public, so I can only assume you are a poor editor. This article, which is about trucking and on a trucking website, does not need to cater to the “general public”. Just becasue it posted for public view, does not mean we need to cater to the public, it is still a privately owned website. Anyone is welcome to visit, but may have to do a little homework if they want to fully understand.
Acronyms like: ELD, FMCSA, ATA, OOIDA, etc. are tossed around all over this site regularly. People in our industry can keep up, they don’t need every acronym explained, every time it comes up. Especially a hot topic like ELD’s.
You shouldn’t read articles that don’t pertain to you.
Great… Rent a Penske this week, then a Ryder next week, then back to Penske the next week, then back to Ryder the next week… I got this figured out for 5 more years…
This isn’t why they went to DC! This is all that came out of protest?
Sounds like Obamacare….and government officials exempting themselves. If this is going to be fair, EVERYBODY uses an ELD or NOBODY uses one!! Exempting trucks with engines older than 1999 is going to flood the highways with new kit trucks and more old trucks…good job FMCSA….doing your usual bang up job!!!!!..
Hey Chuck try and stay focused for just a couple of minutes here. The story is about exempting rental/lease trucks from ELD rules. Foucs
This all BS how can they keep changing the rule for one set of driver’s and not all of us it’s not fair to all truckers
Think of it as ‘stretching’ an existing rule.
Presently, if you’re using ELDs and they malfunction, you go to paper logs. The logic is, you’re using a rental truck because one of yours broke down, so that’s the logic.
It should be up to the company as to whether they chose ELDS’ or not. Plain , simple, and fair.
It already sounds like discrimination between companies… Its not about the safety anymore, its all about the money! This should go to court
Look, most companies have electronic logs, why should rental companies have to be held at same level except for the bigger trucks that require a cdl to drive it it is only fair that they have electronic logs that can be read by dot officers and he’d to same standards.
I don’t care what you talk about but there is always someone that can get themselves exempted from it, which is just one more reason we know the government is corrupt. This is not rocket science.
It should be mandatory every state do what Nevada did put an officer in a truck they gave out 71 tickets to cars for the behaviors that from speeding to the ability to cause a truck in an accident, cutting them off , infringement. Then go back to FMCSA
Report 70.1 % of all truck accidents caused by 4 wheel vehicle. We don’t need ELD we need traffic control. Also when you are home and your tractor becomes POV the ELD should be able to be turned off. It invades your privacy as they can monitor you going from one address to another including when you go to a Dr. His address and specialty violates your HIPPA health privacy rights
Todd Spencer and his buddies. Are for anything that will cause more damage to a drivers life. He could truly careless about truckers.
Working on a factual story about life on elogs. Life before elogs. And life on paper logs.
All in the name of safety-what a crock-all the fmcsa is doing is forcing out the good safe drivers-mainly the owner operators-being replaced by more and more swift and jb hunt rookies in their 62 mph governed automatic trucks clogging up the interstates-way to go fmcsa-all in the name of safety
parking at truck stop are rest area are full at night . this means a guy 1 are 2 hrs out from sleeping in his Owen bed is stick out on the side of the road because no parking room left . My New VOLVO truck came from factor with REAR DRIVE SHAFT OUT OF PHASE , 8000 MILES FRONT WHEEL CAME LOSE , 1 ST 1/2 DAY OF USE I GET A CALL FOR THAT STEERING SHAFT IS RECALLED . MORE THEN LIKELY MY DEALER NEW ABOUT BEFORE I PICK IT UP.. FMCSA MAKE TRUCKS SAFER .
Yeah, what he said…😳
Here’s an idea. How about requiring a second service port mounted on the dash of all rental truck. And require any individual to renting the truck that operates under interstate commerce or is going to be using the rental truck as a property carrying vehicle under interstate commerce. To have a portable eld that can plug in to the rental trucks 1st or 2nd service port mounted on the dash prior to using the rental truck. And exempt individuals that are renting the truck that is under 26,001lbs or less for moving from one home to another. That will save a lot of headaches for rental companies of medium to large trucks. Plus the rental company can require to see the portable eld. and record the eld serial number on the rental agreement. And the record MC/ICC number on the rental agreement. Showing that the renter of the truck has a portable eld. And the truck is going to be used as a property carrying vehicle under interstate commerce.
The story stated a driver would have to carry a copy of the exemption, presumably to show an officer who isn’t familiar with the law. Nope, it is for the driver to prove they knew the law and wasnt just trying to blow off ELD compliance. Just another way to make a fine stick, if they can. Thats as stupid as most “form and function” violations. Dot your “I” and cross your “T” or you’ll get a fine.
ELD for cars will make driving on the roads much safer.