The hours of service (HOS) regulations have been under intense scrutiny as of late. While they remain unchanged, enforcement reached peak levels with the arrival of the electronic logging device (ELD). HOS regulations pose a challenge for all players in the transportation industry, but drives have a bone of contention when it comes to shippers.
Wait and Loading Times
Drivers only have so many hours they can be on the clock before they have to stop and rest. Long wait and loading times at shipping locations is putting a serious strain on drivers’ ability to pick up and deliver their freight before they run out of time. Shippers have skin in the game if they want to remain competitive. Shipping companies that continue to take upwards of two hours to get trucks in, loaded, and back on the road may find themselves with fewer contracts than their swifter rival companies.
Shippers also need to consider detention charges as well. Carriers realize truck drivers are losing money the longer they sit at a shipping facility. As a result, many carriers now charge shippers that cause unnecessary delays. Add on the impending driver shortage, and slow shippers can watch their profit margin dwindle.
The ELD Craze is Here to Stay
The ELD mandate didn’t change the HOS regulations, but it did increase officers ability to enforce them. The frenzy surrounding the ELD enforcement date is not likely to abate any time soon. Police officers are likely to patrol major roads and highways that receive the most frequent trucking traffic. ELDs make noncompliance easy to spot due to their electronic nature. Drivers cannot alter or tamper with ELDs as they could with paper logs.
With the added stressors of the ELD mandate and potential out-of-service orders for noncompliance, something has to give. Drivers and carriers believe that something is long wait times at shipping facilities. Until shippers step up to the plate to make the necessary changes, DriverCheck can help relieve the ELD stress. We developed our ELD solution with the help of truck drivers to make sure it meets their needs. Contact us to learn more.
