FMCSA proposes electronic logbook requirement for commercial drivers

Washington – Interstate commercial truck and bus carriers would have to install electronic logging devices – previously referred to as “electronic on-board recorders” – in their vehicles to track drivers’ compliance with hours-of-service regulations, under an updated proposal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

FMCSA claims the mandate would help reduce fatigue-related crashes by making it more difficult for truck and bus drivers to falsify their duty time records to work more hours. This new proposal replaces a 2010 final rule that FMCSA vacated in 2011 after an appeals court determined that carriers could use the devices to harass drivers into working longer hours. The proposal would create a procedure for drivers to file harassment complaints and would establish a civil penalty of up to $11,000 for carrier harassment that compromises a driver’s safety. The proposal also requires that electronic logging devices be resistant to tampering and allow drivers to access their own duty records.

Comments will be due 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.