As more and more consumers order products online, the need to transport products from warehouses to distribution location centers and more continues to grow. Virginia residents also know that trucking companies are instrumental in getting products onto physical store shelves. Despite the importance that commercial trucking plays in the economy, it remains essential that safety is maintained as a priority.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has implemented a rule that requires most carriers and truckers to use electronic logging devices in their rigs. These ELDs collect and report a variety of data including idle time, drive time, location, time of day and more. The ELD rule is designed to force compliance with the FMCSA’s rule governing the hours of service for a trucker.
Currently, the HOS rule caps the number of hours a trucker may drive in a single day and in a work week. It also outlines clear parameters for when breaks should be taken and indicates the duration that those breaks should last.
According to the Commercial Carrier Journal, many in the industry are trying to amend the ELD rule for short-haul routes. There are already differences for these routes but those are today deemed only 100 miles or less. The new proposal aims to extend that to 150 miles. Routes that are designated as short haul may be exempt from the ELD rule. The proposal also has put forth the option that the currently required half-hour break after eight hours of work be changed to being required only after eight hours of driving, not any type of work such as loading or unloading.