FMCSA Issues Electronic On-Board Recorder Rule

April 2, 2010

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a rule today that will require interstate commercial truck and bus companies with serious patterns of hours-of-service (HOS) violations to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all of their vehicles. Electronic on-board recorders are devices attached to commercial vehicles that automatically record the number of hours drivers spend operating the vehicle. This rule will become effective on June 1, 2012, which will ensure that EOBR manufacturers have enough time to meet the rule's performance standards and to manufacture products to meet industry demand. Additionally, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said that another EOBR rule will be initiated later this year that will be mandate EOBRs on commercial motor vehicles for a broader population of commercial motor carriers.

Under the ruled issued today by FMCSA, there are some incentives for carriers who voluntarily adopt EOBRs. Those carriers will receive relief from some of FMCSA's requirements to retain HOS supporting documents, such as toll receipts used to check the accuracy of driver logbooks. The rule also states that carriers who are found to have 10 percent or more HOS violations during a compliance review will be required to install EOBRs in all their vehicles for a minimum of two years.

To see a copy of the final rule published in the Federal Register today, April 2, 2010, please click here. For questions about the electronic on-board recorder mandate, please contact TRALA’s Joe Sculley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at (703) 299-9120.