Everything You Need to Know About the ELD Mandate
By: Brittany Bevis
Since today is December 18th, which marks the official implementation date of the widely discussed and increasingly controversial Electronic Logging Mandate, EquineChronicle.com wanted to compile a list of the best resources to answer the many questions that have been circulating since the news first broke.
Never fear, the Department of Transportation did grant a 90-day waiver from the requirement that agricultural and livestock haulers install ELDs on their vehicles. That waiver begins today. It is the hope that the waiver period will be used to gather resources and examine feedback and concerns from those in the agricultural community, particularly those in the equine industry who feel the mandate will have a negative effect on equine travel.
Cliff Williamson of The American Horse Council wanted to highlight a few important points for our readers. “Probably, the most important thing for your readers to know, is that they will not be affected by this rule, unless they’ve been keeping written time logs in the past. The ELD mandate is not changing anything related to commercial drivers’ license requirements. It’s just changing how those hours are reported.”
“We’ve been in contact with all the major horse haulers, here in the U.S., and there are some who are already complying with the mandate. We petitioned [DOT] for a one-year waiver, so we’re hoping that the 90-day waiver is just a first step. We’re hoping that we can use the 90 days to impress upon them the restrictions on the agricultural industry, to make sure we know how law enforcement will be enforcing this rule, and to make sure they know that live animals have different needs than say, retail goods.”
It’s important to note that the ELD mandate is nothing new. However, concerns about the potential affect it will have on the equine industry is an aspect that’s just recently gained notice in the media. In 2012, President Obama introduced the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” bill, which included provisions to help the FMCSA reduce the number of crashes and resulting injuries and fatalities. Included within the bill was a provision that required the FMSCA to develop a rule regarding the use of ELDs on commercial vehicles used for hauling. The ELD mandate was the result.
Some of you might be saying, ‘I don’t have a commercial vehicle!’ That may be true. If you’re wondering whether or not you need a commercial drivers’ license, this PDF from the American Horse Council may help. Regardless of that fact, horse haulers will be affected by the ELD mandate, because horses are considered to be livestock and are mentioned specifically in the mandate. There are exemptions from the mandate. For example, short-haul vehicles are exempted, meaning, “the driver operates within a 100 air-mile radius from the normal starting work location; the driver starts and returns to the same location within 12 hours-time; the driver drives no more than 11 hours; the driver takes ten consecutive hours off between shifts; the driver maintains the time-clock, aka punching in and out for work.” For more information about the specifics of the mandate, view this PDF from the AHC, Electronic Logging Device- Mandate- How Will It Affect You?
Click on the links below for other resources related to the ELD mandate.
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA website is a great resource for everything related to the ELD Mandate.
Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the ELD mandate.
Click here to sign up for an email service that will notify you about ELD updates.
Click here for the ELD rule page, including information about compliance and exemptions.
The FMCSA also has an email information line and telephone hotline. Email- ELD@dot.gov and telephone- 1-800-832-5660.
The American Horse Council
The American Horse Council has created two informative PDFs that has information about the ELD mandate.
Click here to download ELD Mandate- How Will it Affect You? Also, click here to download, Commercials Driver’s License- How Do I Know If I Need One?
The AHC also has an information center. Contact Cliff Williamson with any questions or comments concerning the ELD mandate at 202-296-4031 or at cwilliamson@horsecouncil.org.
Click on the links below for information that has already been posted on EquineChronicle.com about the mandates.
DOT Grants 90-Day Waiver From Requirement that Livestock Haulers Install Electronic Logging Devices- http://www.equinechronicle.com/dot-grants-90-day-waiver-from-requirement-that-livestock-haulers-install-electronic-logging-devices/
American Horse Council Addresses Potential Impact of Electronic Logging Device Mandate-
AQHA Encourages One-Year Enforcement Delay of ELD Mandate-
http://www.equinechronicle.com/aqha-encourages-one-year-enforcement-delay-of-eld-mandate/
APHA Addresses New ELD Mandate and Potential Effect on Horse Industry- http://www.equinechronicle.com/apha-addresses-new-eld-mandate-and-potential-affect-on-horse-industry/
