Is the ELD mandate a FAILURE?
It’s now been a year since the ELD mandate went into effect and it is a great time to look at what the mandate has or has not accomplished. Researchers from three different universities, including the University of Arkansas, Michigan State University and Northeastern University, completed a study in January about whether or not the ELD mandate reduced crashes.
The researchers looked at millions of driver inspections between January 2017 and September 2018. They also looked at all the crashes submitted by the states to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The study results were segmented into three specific areas. The following is a summary of those three areas and the net results:
HOS Compliance
- The mandate increased HOS compliance.
- The percentage of inspections with intentional violations dropped substantially.
- For owner-operators, the rate of inspections with violations fell from 10.7% to 6%.
- For larger carriers, the percentage of inspections with violations went from 0.85% to 0.75%.
Crashes
- The mandate has had virtually no effect on crash counts.
- Crashes per week pre-mandate averaged 1,717.
- Accidents per week during light enforcement periods actually increased to 1,912 (an 11.4% increase)
Driver Behavior
- Owner-operators and drivers for small carriers were cited much more frequently for unsafe driving behavior after the mandate.
- Owner-operators committed 22.7% more unsafe driving violations during light enforcement periods.
- Owner-operators committed 35.3% more unsafe driving violations during strict enforcement periods.
I have personally witnessed hundreds of professional drivers exit the transportation industry as a direct result of the ELD mandate and based on this preliminary information, the ELD initiative has utterly failed to make any of us safer and has cost each of us more for the goods we consume every day.
Regardless of the devices’ lack of impact on crash rates, sadly they are not going away anytime soon. As always, I am interested in your opinion and comments.
Bishop of Yeshua the Messiah +4792518679 Spiritual Guide Tarot Reader )
5 年were you at brother
Director of Field Services I Expert in E-Commerce Furniture Delivery & Warehousing Solutions I Pioneering White Glove Service Across 40+ U.S. Locations
5 年Wes Great article. However I disagree with the idea that ELD's are the issue. In my opinion, the real issue is the flawed hours of service rules currently on the books. They do not take into account each driver's unique circadian rhythm and tries to fit everyone into one neat little box. Fortunately FMCSA has listen to the OTR trucking industry and new hours of service rules are coming soon.
Roscoe Allen is a dynamic business leader dedicated to helping individuals and organizations connect hearts and minds, embrace change, and achieve their fullest potential. I am a rockstar at warehousing and operations.
5 年It is frustrating that one again government regulation not helping address real concern.