By December 18 of this year, truck drivers who do not qualify under existing exemptions laid out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must install a compliant electronic logging device (ELD). Even so, several organizations are seeking last minute exemptions. In these final weeks leading up to the mandate deadline, both the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) submitted exemption requests.
MPAA Claims of Incompatibility
MPAA truck drivers transport theatrical, television, and movie production equipment and often work for a diverse array of employers. MPAA contends that these companies use a variety of ELDs, many of which may prove incompatible with each other. This would mean drivers could not transfer ELD data, which is in direct conflict with the mandate. As such, MPAA is seeking an exemption that allows them to continue using paper logs.
The motion picture association contends their continued use of paper logs does not pose an increased risk of accidents caused by fatigued drivers. This is in large part because most of their drivers are on the road for less than four hours per day with an average of 40 miles per day. Their drivers do not qualify under existing exemptions for short-haul drivers because they already operate under hours of service (HOS) exemptions.
WEDA Cites Confusion in Existing Farmer Exemption
While farmers have several existing exemptions, most of these fall under harvest season. They also do not account for hauling equipment to and from dealerships. WEDA is requesting an exemption to account for these issues. The equipment association contends that various states have differing definitions for what constitutes harvesting season. They also argue that the existing short-haul exemption is not clear on whether transporting equipment to and from dealerships within 100 miles applies or not.
WEDA argues all of this confusion will result in drivers installing an ELD as a precaution, limiting their hours to move equipment. This will have a negative effect on the farming industry as well, increasing expenses and downtime for farmers.
However, whether these organizations will receive their exemptions is up in the air. FMCSA announced its rejection of an exemption request from the Pipe Line Contractors Association (PLCA) filed in July. The U.S. DOT agency denied the exemption because PLCA failed to prove how it would match ELD safety levels without using the device.
The Best ELD Solutions
For those who do not fall under any of FMCSA’s narrow exemptions, time is running out to comply with the ELD mandate. The experts at DriverCheck strive to provide truck drivers with ELD solutions that are easy to use, compliant, and cost-effective. To learn more about ELD compliance and implementation, contact DriverCheck today.
