Though the ELD Mandate is already here, the Trump administration’s Department of Transportation has taken steps to make the transition a little less painful by pushing back some serious penalties until April 1.
In spite of massive amounts of outcry from many in the trucking industry, the Department of Transportation went forward with the December 18, 2017 ELD compliance date. This means that most truck drivers (with a few exceptions) were legally required to make the switch from paper logs to electronic logging devices.
Between December 18 And April 1, Penalties For ELD Violations Will Be Relaxed
However, during the period from December 18 through April 1, 2018, truckers caught not using ELDs will get a bit of a break.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has announced that they will NOT be issuing out of service orders to truck driver caught without and ELD until April 1. Between December 18 and April 1, inspectors will document truckers who are in violation of the ELD Mandate and they may offer citations at their own discretion, but they will not place a trucker out of service for ELD compliance violations.
The CVSA says that this grace period “will provide the motor carrier industry, shippers and the roadside enforcement community with time to adjust to the new requirement before vehicles are placed out of service for ELD violations.”
Additionally, the FMCSA has announced that non-compliance with the ELD Mandate will not count against Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores for motor carriers between December 18 and April 1.
For answers to the top 20 most frequently asked questions on the ELD Mandate, click here.