Can’t escape it now… The supreme court recently said, “We’re not going to get involved.” As a result, Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) on commercial vehicles will be required starting on December 18, 2017.
Although much information has been published, there continues to be a lot of discussion about exemptions to the upcoming ELD rule. Specifically, who will be exempt from using electronic logging devices? Here are some clear answers as to whether you must comply or not.
The final ELD rule does apply to most commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, including fleets who carry agricultural wares, vehicles carrying livestock, and oil field drivers. But four exemptions remain. If you qualify for any of these, you are exempt from using an ELD.
But remember, if the driver breaks this exception more than 8 times in a 30-day period, the driver will need an ELD for the remainder of that 30-day cycle.
There you have it. The four exceptions to the ELD rule. I’ll summarize for clarity. The ELD mandate does apply to most CMV drivers. However, the ELD rule doesn’t apply to:
Yet, even though some drivers and vehicles don’t need ELDs, fleets are adopting ELDs because of their various benefits. More and more brokers will most likely require ELDs as a sales tool for retaining and soliciting new customers due to the perception that the ELDS will reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and increase profits. Of course, all that remains to be seen.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you make sense of the requirements and how they might pertain to you.
Keep the wheels rolling.
Robert Beard
President, Pay4Freight