For decades upon decades, truck drivers have logged their miles with a paper and pen. However, as has been the case with businesses and industries around the country, truck drivers will soon be replacing pens and papers with an electronic device.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is the major authoritative voice for truck drivers in America, passed a rule stating truck drivers will be required to log their hours in some sort of electronic logging device or in an ELD, which is a device that automatically records driving time, while also monitoring engine hours, movements, location and miles driven.
Why The Rule Was Passed
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the rule was passed to alleviate the burden of drivers and help ensure they would not pass their allotted hours and drive when they were to the point of exhaustion.
As well, truck drivers will have more time, since the electronic version takes away the legwork they had to complete when making a paper log. This should make truck drivers and truck driving companies more efficient.
Another ancillary benefit is it will make streamline inspections more efficient for police officers, and should help reduce the times that police officers come in contact with an exhausted driver trying to finish a run.
If you’re a truck driver, what do you think about the new rule? Are you excited about it? Or did you prefer to do the traditional pen and paper routine?