On the Spot at expo Transporte
Sanders Says Trump Policy Would Have Kept Out NYC Bomb Suspect
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that the suspect in Monday's New York City bomb attack wouldn't have entered the U.S. under President Donald Trump's proposal to end immigration preferences ...
ELD Face-off: The Two Sides of the Looming Mandate
Photo: FMCSA
">With just a week to go until the much debated electronic logging device rule kicks in on Dec. 18, Heavy Duty Trucking asked top officials of two trucking associations that have been outspoken in their support or criticism of the far-reaching mandate to weigh in on several key aspects.
Replying for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the group that has represented the interests of individual professional truckers for over 40 years.
Replying for the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, also known as the Trucking Alliance, is Lane Kidd, managing director of the coalition of freight and logistics companies that supports various safety and security reforms.
Neither party was privy to the replies of the other before this article was posted.
HDT: Will ELDs truly stop cheating on hours of service?
Kidd: Yes, ELDs will effectively catch commercial drivers who ignore federal hours-of-service rules. And any driver who thinks he's smart enough to simply manipulate the software is in for a rude awakening. Paper log books are like a horse and buggy, while an ELD is a Maserati, and you'll not be able to simply alter the technology. But it begs the question – why would a company or driver go to such trouble to cheat, when ELDs will improve his lifestyle, his work day, and his pay.
Spencer: Not likely. The only thing an ELD can do is tell if a vehicle is moving. People are creative. Technology can always be tweaked for a different outcome. With ELDs, a driver can easily log off when [the vehicle is] stuck in traffic – something you would never do with paper.
HDT: If you could emphasize the single most important reason you're for or against ELDs, what would it be?
Spencer: While the government-required monitoring and tracking should ...Read the rest of this story
Survey Finds Owner-Operators More Unprepared for ELD Deadline Than Fleets
Source: Help Inc.
">An online poll conducted through email and social media by Help Inc., the provider of the PrePass weigh station bypass service, has found that nearly half of respondents had not yet selected an electronic logging device ahead of the Dec. 18 deadline.
Only 33% of survey respondents said that they had selected and installed an ELD, while 18% had made a selection but hadn't yet installed the device. The survey was conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 5, around two weeks before the scheduled compliance deadline.
While some of those polled who had not yet made an ELD choice may just be procrastinating, as many as 68% of that group said they weren't planning to comply before the deadline – some because they weren't convinced the ELD mandate would actually take effect on time, while as many as 31% of the group said they wouldn't install ELDs at all, deadline or otherwise.
The survey also revealed that some trucking professionals were more likely than others to comply. Half of fleet managers surveyed reported having ELDs installed and operational, while only 28% of drivers and owner-operators said the same thing.
“It is surprising to see that such a large share of both owner-operators and drivers as well as fleet professionals see no need or rush to comply with the upcoming ELD mandate,” said Karen Rasmussen Help Inc. CEO. “Whether they are in favor of ELD or not, there is every indication that the FMCSA intends to follow through with its plans to require the devices without delay.”
Respondents reported that buying a low-cost, easy-to-use solution from a trusted provider were important factors influencing their purchasing decisions. A perception that ELDs are expensive is one reason many drivers and owners-operators and fleet managers are not planning to install the devices. According to the poll, 24% ...Read the rest of this story
Eagles’ Wentz has torn ACL, will miss rest of season
Eagles star quarterback Carson Wentz has a torn left ACL and will miss rest of the season and playoffs, coach Doug Pederson confirmed. Wentz, a favorite in the NFL MVP race, had an MRI on Monday that revealed ...
A labor of Hercules