The Small Business in Transportation Coalition, a non-profit transportation industry trade group, last week endorsed the proposed ‘‘Small Carrier Electronic Logging Device Exemption Act of 2018’’ (HR 5948), and now has filed a formal request for exemption from the electronic logging device requirements for all motor carriers with fewer than 50 employees. This includes, but is not limited to, one-person private and for-hire owner-operators of commercial motor vehicles used in interstate commerce.
The bill, introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives last month by Rep. Greg Gianforte and Rep. Collin Peterson, would relieve up to 90% of the trucking industry from the Electronic Logging Device mandate imposed in December 2017 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to James Lamb, SBTC president. The bill exempts motor carriers that own or operate 10 trucks or less.
The FMCSA is accepting public comments on the SBTC’s exemption request for 30 days following its publication in the Federal Register. Comments can be made online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov using docket number FMCSA-2018-0180.