We are about two years into the Electronic Logging Device mandate. Now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is cracking down on any violations by handing out ELD mandate penalties. The mandate has cracked down on making sure that all drivers have an ELD in their rig. The device allows the driver, the carrier, and the government to better track their driving hours and performance. However, with the mandate surfaced many frustrations for truckers when it comes to the tightly-regulated industry that once represented their road to freedom. Here’s an update on what’s happening with ELD mandate penalties as well as some other potential changes coming down the pike.
What happens when you receive ELD mandate penalties?
First of all, if you aren’t ELD compliant, the government can force you out-of-service and not allow you to be dispatched again until you are compliant. This is why, although the ELD is an investment, it’s best to do it sooner rather than later. The consequences can be costly. With that said, the ELD mandate penalties can now affect your Compliance, Safety, Accountability, or CSA score.
The FMCSA keeps your CSA Score and uses it to identify any high-risk carriers or drivers they may need to intervene with. The score is based on your driving performance data, including all safety-based roadside inspection violations and state-reported crashes.
How much do the ELD mandate penalties cost?
ELD mandate penalties can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. The average recorded fine is $2,867 and the highest recorded fine was $13,680 as of 2018, which is the most recent information available. These costs and the other consequences of not complying with the mandate have many truck drivers frustrated. Truckers long for the days when they drove – pulled over when they felt it was time to rest – had more control over how quickly and when they dropped off their cargo and took breaks when they wanted to. Now, all of this is regulated, and the ELD prevents them from stretching the truth at all. Surprisingly, the industry has been pretty quiet on the ELD front as of late. It seems drivers and companies alike are buckling down and accepting their fate.
Will regulations on truckers ease any time soon?
The ELD mandate, as well as additional heavy regulations, are driving some out of the industry. This is why recently the government started making moves to ease some regulations on drivers – most specifically, their required hours of service. Here’s a high-level overview of changes that could be coming for truckers:
- 30-minute break
The first change FMCSA is promising is regarding the current 30-minute break requirement. Basically, you can count your on-duty/not driving status as your break time instead of having to switch to off duty to take your break. Tasks, like grabbing a cup of coffee, stopping to use the restroom, or getting gas, could count toward your break instead of your on-duty hours.
- Pausing the off-duty clock
This essentially means instead of having to drive through rush hour to get as much of your driving into the 14-hour window like it is now, you could stop for up to three hours mid-shift, as long as you take at least 10 hours off duty at the end of your shift.
- Adverse driving conditions
If you’re facing bad weather, you can add two additional hours to your allowed driving time… so, you could take 16 hours instead of 14 hours, so that you can travel through that weather safely and not get penalized.
To hear about all five of the proposed changes, tune into Big Rig Banter for a more in-depth conversation!
How do you feel about trucking regulations and ELD mandate penalties? Comment below!
December 19, 2017
so if a company driver does not have the ELD in his or her truck is the driver at fault or the company and can the driver be find
December 22, 2017
Hi Mike, The driver can be penalized via an Out Of Service penalty, but it will be expected that a driving company covers any fines. However, this is something you’ll want to ask your trucking company, just to be sure.
December 27, 2017
I have an AOBRD and it’s already had it’s moments with me ,plane and simple truth ” AS LONG AS WE TRUCKERS WHO CHOOSE TO KEEP DOING THIS JOB ,WE WILL HAVE TO ADAPT . ” IT is still us against them but I refuse to pay any fines because this device is making the whole trucking industry operate different ! What the shippers and receivers are going to realize eventually also is that this device will control when we can pickup and deliver , so it will take an extra day or two ! Nothing else we can do !
September 18, 2019
The 14 hr. clock makes more problems in the road than it corrects. Too many drivers drive recklessly to beat the 14 hr. clock. The shippers and receivers don’t get you on the road fast enough stealing your driving time. The re set for your 70 hr. week is also a problem. The driving doesn’t pay enough to be out on the road and away from home for as long you have to be out there. Dispatchers routinely don’t get you home often enough to take care of routine tasks to keep your home running smoothly. The only thing that dispatch does well is make sure the medical certificate is up dated in a timely manner. I enjoyed being out on the road. I didn’t like it in the 21 st century and parked my truck and left the business.
December 27, 2017
Ya your definitely right about the ELD fine BUT the csa score will fall on the drives record absolutely cover your butts I trucked for 28 years I’m done now but I would hate to hear that drivers are getting huge fines and losing your CDL because some waist of life dispatcher bullshits those who are timid and afraid to raise hell cover your ass even if you need to switch jobs
September 18, 2019
The new Qualcomm update is over restrictive. I can’t even move my truck to get the sun off my cab or move to a better parking spot at a truck stop. The FMCSA has gone too far and like any useless bureaucratic entity, they are not only not helpful, they are counter productive. I have lost two day due to that idiotic update which prevents me from moving 1 little inch. I’m not a robot, I am a mammal and I have two useless nipples to prove it. Like many other experienced drivers. I am looking for an exit strategy. You can keep the mindless idiot “professional drivers” they ste putting behind the wheel these days. Never forget, the death rate went up after FMCSA was created and continues to go up with more regulations.
September 18, 2019
The new Qualcomm update is over restrictive. I can’t even move my truck to get the sun off my cab or move to a better parking spot at a truck stop. The FMCSA has gone too far and like any useless bureaucratic entity, they are not only not helpful, they are counter productive. I have lost two day due to that idiotic update which prevents me from moving 1 little inch. I’m not a robot, I am a mammal and I have two useless nipples to prove it. Like many other experienced drivers. I am looking for an exit strategy. You can keep the mindless idiot “professional drivers” they ste putting behind the wheel these days. Never forget, the death rate went up after FMCSA was created and continues to go up with more regulations.
September 18, 2019
Driving with an eld is a pain. My saving grace is I only do local so the eld really is not an issue. Soon I will put my truck on the road. I made a very smart move in 2000, I bought a 1998 frt and kept it. Sure it has no value but it works better and has no safety bs. The best part is I can drive long distance like I use to safely with no eld. Yeepie ki yea, fmcsa.