Thursday, February 10, 2011

ATA addresses regulatory issues at TMC annual meeting

By Jeff Crissey - CCJ

During the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2011 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Fla., American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves addressed conference attendees and industry suppliers on a number of regulatory issues, including the new proposed rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that would mandate electronic onboard recorders.

ATA says carriers should accept the inevitability of an EOBR mandate and begin embracing the technology. Citing studies that show positive correlations between companies that log driver hours electronically and the overall safety of those companies, Graves said it is difficult for ATA to oppose such a mandate.

“We are on that glide path today where every vehicle very soon will be required to use electronic logging,” said Graves. “As much as we still have individuals in our industry unwilling to embrace electronic logging, it is simply going to happen.”

Graves also recognized the efforts of TMC’s onboard vehicle electronics committee to ensure technical performance and accuracy, issuing a 22-page technical policy advisory for EOBR systems that will assist ATA in shaping comments for the proposed rule.

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