EOBR Mandate * USA - Compliance Or Convenience?

Electronic on-board recorders can improve productivity, but should they be mandated?

Washington,DC,USA -GAWDA -February 4, 2011: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week proposed requiring nearly all interstate commercial motor carriers to install electronic data recorders to monitor their drivers’ hours-of-service compliance... The notice of proposed rulemaking, published on January 31, seeks to mandate the use of electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) for all motor carriers whose drivers currently use log books to monitor their hours of service (HOS). The purpose of the mandate, according to FMCSA, is chiefly aimed at regulatory compliance... Smaller distributors are worried about the cost of such a mandate. In its Preliminary Regulatory Evaluation, FMCSA based the study on a device that cost $1,675, with a $100 installation fee, an estimated $500 in maintenance every five years and a minimum $40-per-month service fee... But distributors also need to consider the added cost of keeping employees up to speed... The combined cost is not insignificant, and would likely have to be passed on to the customer in one way or another. However, the cost of EOBRs is little next to the proposed penalty of $11,000 per offense...