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What is the ELD rule for truckers?

On Behalf of | Mar 9, 2020 | Truck Accidents

Semi-truck drivers spend many long and lonely hours on the road as part of their jobs. The very nature of this job opens the door for a driver to become fatigued which, in turn, increases the risk of an accident happening. Every driver knows that it is not safe to operate a vehicle when they are tired, and this is especially true for people who drive big rigs carrying heavy loads.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted a rule a few years ago that provided new guidelines on when truckers must take breaks and how long those breaks must last. Each trucker’s daily and weekly driving hours were also capped per the new provisions. In an effort to mandate compliance with this Hours of Service rule, the FMCSA has now instituted a requirement for all tractor-trailers to be equipped with electronic logging devices.

The ELD rule, as it is called, requires the use of these devices to track, collect and report on a driver’s working hours and break times. The device identifies when a truck engine has been turned on, when the vehicle is idling and when it is being driven. The ELD rule outlines provisions for making any amendments to the automatically collected information to avoid truck drivers or trucking companies from falsifying records and violating the HOS rule.

Adherence to the ELD rule is essential to keeping people safe on New Mexico highways.