ELD mandate off to rocky start

Did anyone (outside of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) doubt how rough the past couple of weeks have been since the ELD mandate kicked in?

The boom you may have heard emanating from Grain Valley, Mo., starting on Dec. 18 were the phones blowing up here at OOIDA HQ. The Compliance Department continues to field thousands of calls from drivers reporting problems and malfunctions with their electronic logging devices.

I mean, seriously, what did FMCSA expect? Relying on a system where the manufacturers and resellers “self-certify” their device is simply a joke. A 4-year-old’s pinky promise comes with more sincerity than self-certifying.

OOIDA is nowhere close to giving up on fighting the ELD mandate. Because of that, the Association was ready for the complaints. The complaints are being cataloged and reported on the OOIDA Foundation’s website under ELD research. Scroll down to ELD issues. It’s quite telling, I assure you.

The problems that members of OOIDA report range from mechanical issues where the devices won’t link up with the ECM to devices crashing or not even starting up properly in the first place.

The problems with the ELD mandate don’t stop with the devices.

Inconsistent enforcement was a given too. Knowing it was coming down the pike, the Association established an email for members to send in copies of tickets they receive. When sending in copies of your tickets, OOIDA asks you include your contact information, including email address and telephone number. Tickets can be emailed to ELD@OOIDA.com.

The problems are so far and wide with the ELD mandate that 16 groups, including OOIDA, have filed for exemptions. As the problems mount – and they will – that number will grow.

The reality is, FMCSA is doubling down on a losing bet. The agency’s irresponsible, relentless path forward is hitting a point where it is the picture-perfect definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result). The only question is if rational thinking and action will happen soon enough that the country doesn’t suffer.