OOIDA blasts proposal to require EOBRs in all trucks

There is no data to show that EOBRs will increase highway safety, says OOIDA official Todd Spencer. (Courtesy: OOIDA)

The Trucker News Services

9/30/2010

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — The proposed Senate bill to require all commercial trucks to operate with electronic on-board recorders drew fire Thursday from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

OOIDA officials said while the proposal might sound good on paper, EOBRs are no better than paper logbooks for tracking truckers’ hours of service, despite claims by some entities “that will cash in on a government mandate.

“There is no data that shows these devices will increase highway safety — none,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA executive vice president. “EOBRs are a management tool, not a safety device. Believe it or not, there are currently no mandated training or driving experience requirements for someone to become a truck driver.  Many of the folks supporting this bill have fought against training requirements for years.”

 “This bill presumes truckers will break the law if they are not constantly tracked by the federal government,” Spencer said. “EOBRs will not track all the activities of a driver’s day and will still require the driver’s input to document all hours worked.”

OOIDA noted that in June the organization filed a legal challenge of an EOBR regulation by FMCSA that will mandate the use of the devices for motor carriers with a record of chronic non-compliance with hours of service regulations.

“The burdensome cost, the violation of privacy and lack of relevant safety verification make any mandate unjustified,” Spencer said. “Information gathered could be used against drivers that has nothing to do with hours of service, and that is beyond the authority of trucking safety regulators.”

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