Onboard Recorder Proposal Forwarded

      The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's proposed rule on electronic onboard recorders was stalled for months but has now been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for White House approval.
      If there were no more hitches in the process, OMB was to have cleared the proposal late in August, and the agency was to have published it by Aug. 31.
      Some observers expect the agency to propose a requirement that some or all carriers use onboard recorders to track driver hours of service. "A ruling from the FMCSA is expected ... regarding electronic on-board recorders, which should aid in the enforcement of the new hours of service rules," writes industry analyst John Larkin of Stifel Nicolaus. Larkin believes that the requirement would affect industry capacity because it would make it more difficult for carriers to skirt the rules. The advantage would go to the larger, safer, more financially stable carriers, he says.
      As HDT went to press, there was no public indication of what the agency will actually propose. Right now, use of EOBRs is voluntary. Until recently, few carriers used them, although one recorder supplier has seen an upturn in orders from fleets that expect recorders to be mandated.
      In any event, a final rule is months away and not likely before the end of the year. The agency will take comments on its proposal, and then study those comments before making a decision.

Washington Report continued...