OOIDA suing feds over electronic logging device mandate

by Truck News

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is suing the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) over its new regulation mandating the use of electronic logging devices.

“This rule has the potential to have the single largest, most negative impact on the industry than anything else done by FMCSA,” said Jim Johnston, OOIDA president and CEO. “We intend to fight it with everything we have available.”

The final rule, announced last week, mandates the use of ELDs for all interstate commerce in trucks of a model year 2000 or newer.

OOIDA complains that such devices can only track movement of a vehicle and approximate location, however it has not yet outlined the arguments that will be used to challenge the rule.

“This regulation is absolutely the most outrageous intrusion into the rights of professional truckers imaginable and will do nothing at all to improve highway safety. In fact, we firmly believe it will do exactly the opposite by placing even more pressure and stress on drivers than they already deal with,” Johnston said.


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  • While I agree, the mandate that Electronic Logs is an intrusion of time perhaps, but certainly not rights.
    I will agree with the OOIDA. Implementation of E-Logs will not make roads safer. Driver Training for both Truckers and the General Public in all modes of highway transportation does that. But we keep on putting money in punitive devices such as E-Logs instead of Driver Training.
    E-Logs will be expensive enough to force some OO’s out of business. No winners here except the Lawyers who will fight this law suit out in court.

  • ELDs will certainly improve safety. They will virtually eliminate cheating by drivers and coercion to cheat by companies and shippers. They will also eliminate the competitive advantage that cheaters have over those that obey the law. If you and your company are already in the habit of driving legally, ELDs will make you more competitive. If you / your company are cheating, you have the most to lose and (in my own opinion) are the ones that are making the most noise about these machines. I say sit down and shut up, follow the law like everyone else, and you don’t like it sell your truck and remember, it’s the cheaters that care causing all the accidents out there….

    • I beg to differ on your point that ELD’S make things safer. Once again, they just further the misplaced notion that the driver is fit for 14 straight hours. Therefore, he drives when the ELD or log says he can, regardless of how awake he is. a nap is punitive.
      Further, “it’s the cheaters causing the accidents”? I call BULL. There are just as many or more ELD equipped fleets in the rhubarb than non equipped. Unless you have numbers to back up that statement, it is irrelevant. If you have them, please share.
      The ELD does nothing preventative…it just makes punitive enforcement easier.

  • It’s a Invasion of Freedom we O/O spend all this Money on our Trucks to have that right to not to have a BOSS breathing down our neck Now The GOVERNMENT wants to ride with me I say NO,NO,NO …..I’ve got 21 years OTR I don’t need a GOVERNMENT BABYSITTER.How about teaching these others people that drives these cars ,pick up trucks and RV’s up and down the road tired and playing with their I-Phone’s texting I’ve even seen some drinking and driving some will be fighting with each other or messing with the children in the back seat get in my lane realize what they are doing and blow the the horn at me Yeah I said they are blowing their horn at me like I did something wrong they better be glad I was paying attention and driving for the both of us some of these people are just out there driving then when something happens yep,they want to blame us the trucker but we aren’t always to blame .Putting ELD in our trucks is invasion of my Freedom of Rights
    and forcing me to drive under condition that I normally wouldn’t drive under cause once that electric log starts the only break I will get is a 30 minute one in between a 5 hours of driving something again you the PUBLIC IS STICKING YOUR NOSE IN SOMETHING YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT I DON’T COME TO YOUR JOBS OR YOUR HOMES AND TELL YOU HOW AND WHEN YOU CAN TAKE A BREAK OR SORRY YOU’RE ONLY 30 TO 45 MINUTES AWAY FROM HOME AND YOU HAVEN’T SEEN HOME IN WEEK OR MAYBE 2 WEEKS BUT YOU GOTTA WAIT 10 HOURS BEFORE GOING HOME TUFF LUCK BUDDY some of these guys and gals only get 2 days home to spend with there families do I think you the Government or Public cares Heck No as long as you the Public has all the Commodities you need when you go to the grocery store or to the malls Etc,…. You don’t care what sacrifices we the AMERICAN TRUCKER makes yes I know it’s part of the Job but it’s not my life understand the difference people. Again I DON’T TELL YOU HOW TO DO YOUR JOB SO DON’T COME TO MY JOB AND TRY TO TELL ME HOW I SHOULD BE DOING MINE UNDERSTAND CAUSE DOING THIS IS STRIPPING ME OF MY RIGHTS OF BEING AN OWNER OPERATOR I MADE THE CHOICE TO OWN MY TRUCK I DON’T WANT OR NEED THE GOVERNMENT TELL ME WHEN TO DRIVE SHOWER BREAK OR WHEN I CAN GO AND USE THE BATHROOM Y’ALL PUT A DEVICE AROUND YOUR LEG AND LET US TRUCKERS TELL Y’ALL ALL THE ABOVE SEE HOW YOU WILL LIKE IT …… WE AREN’T BAD PEOPLE WE ARE THE BACKBONE OF AMERICA KEEP MESSING WITH US …..WE WILL GO ON STRIKE !!!!!!!!