Truck drivers are limited by law to work 11 hours in a 14-hour period after a resting period of at least 10 consecutive hours. Since 1938, truckers have been logging their hours on paper, but Congress has passed a new law that will require them to use an electronic logging device (ELD) instead.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) explains: “On an annual average basis, the ELD Final Rule is estimated to save 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries resulting from crashes involving large commercial motor vehicles.”
The main argument for this change is explained this way:
Many argue that paper documentation can easily be changed and tampered with to avoid getting into trouble. The ELDs are meant to prevent this problem from happening by automatically logging hours by monitoring engine running time, location tracking, and vehicle movement.
Ultimately, this legislative change is aimed at reducing the number of car accidents involving trucks, which is a continual problem in this country.