Dec. 17, 2015—The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), which represents tens of thousands of truckers, is mounting a legal challenge to a new federal requirement for drivers to electronically log their hours behind the wheel.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced last week that all drivers will be required to use electronic logging devices, known as e-logs, by the end of 2017. Officials say e-logs can keep roads safer by making it easier to enforce limits on the hours that drivers can be on the road.
Much of the trucking industry has expressed support for the rule, including large trucking carriers that have already adopted e-logs. They say the logs can boost productivity, and cut down on paperwork and logging errors that can lead to fines.
But because e-logs automatically track engine status, a truck’s location and other information, OOIDA has said it fears drivers will be subjected to more harassment from carriers, who may pressure them to drive even when tired or in bad weather. Drivers have also argued that new safety rules may fail to make roads safer because they do not take traffic, weather and natural sleep patterns into account.
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