Mega Carrier Granted Waiver From Numerous Data Requirements of ELD Mandate

Washington D.C. – One of the nation’s largest trucking companies has received a waiver from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) granting relief from certain data requirements of the electronic logging devices (ELD) mandate.

Werner Enterprises, one of the first trucking companies to adopt ELDs into its fleet, has been granted an exemption from the requirement that certain data fields be included in electronic records of duty status (RODS) files recorded by ELDs.

Werner filed the application for exemption in April.

The mega carrier argued it needed the regulatory relief because five specific data fields in the RODS files accessible through the in-cab ELD unit will be left blank during the first eight days its drivers transition from the company’s current ELD-provider, Omnitracs, to its new supplier, Platform Science.

The five data fields identified by Werner are:

• Co-driver information;
• Odometer Elapsed—vehicle elapsed miles/kilometers in given ignition power on cycle;
• Engine Hours Elapsed—elapsed time of engine operation in the given ignition power on cycle;
• Engine Hours Total—total engine hours at time of event; and,
• Odometer Total (decimal)—total at time of the event.

Also, Werner claimed it should be given additional consideration due to the size of its fleet.

“Due to the size of our fleet, this isn’t a flip the switch transition. Installation will be one-offs when trucks are at terminals or larger distribution centers where we have a team of installers,” the application stated.

In granting the waiver, the FMCSA explained:

From a safety equivalency perspective, all of Werner’s drivers would have electronic RODS files available for review at any inspection location using FMCSA’s eRODS software providing accurate duty status information for the current day and the previous seven days. While the files would not include the specific data elements discussed above, HOS information can still be verified at the roadside, and the information would be available for an on-site investigation conducted at a Werner facility. The remaining data elements would provide more than sufficient means for identifying non-compliance with the underlying hours-of-service requirements.

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Additionally, the FMCSA said Werner must ensure, 1) each of its drivers continues to use ELDs that meet all the technical specifications, 2) each driver operating under the exemption must maintain a copy of the notice and documentation of the date of installation of the Platform Science ELD to establish the 8-day period for which the exemption is applicable, and 3) maintain all electronic files generated by Omnitracs ELDs for each of its drivers for at least six (6) months from the date the records were created and make certain each of those files contains all the data elements specified in the exemption waiver.

FMCSA said it does not believe the drivers covered by the exemption will experience any “deterioration of their safety record.”

The exemption covers approximately 10,000 truck drivers and 8,000 power units.