This rule, which is expected to impact about 3 million American truckers and commercial bus drivers, is intended to promote compliance with federal hours-of-service (HOS) rules. These are aimed at curbing driver fatigue by limiting the number of hours commercial motorists can drive, with the intention of preventing driver fatigue-related truck accidents.

Expressing support for this new trucking regulation, FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling commented that:

This is a win for all motorists on our nation’s roadways… Employing technology to ensure that commercial drivers comply with federal hours-of-service rules will prevent crashes and save lives.

Details of the ELD Requirement & Projected Impacts

While truckers and bus drivers who use paper logs will have to switch to an electronic logging device by 2017, the Final Rule also:

• Provides specifications for what constitutes an acceptable ELD – These guidelines are intended for both ELD manufacturers, as well as trucking companies and self-employed truckers who need to get these devices.
• Banning the harassment of commercial truck and bus drivers due to the “information generated by ELDs”
• Detailing a new HOS documentation system, which will cut back on paperwork and limit (if not eliminate) the requirement to keep supporting documentation regarding drivers’ on-duty driving time.

According to the FMCSA, this ELD Final Rule is expected to “save 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries resulting from crashes involving large commercial motor vehicles.” Additionally, officials anticipate that this Rule will dramatically cut down in “the amount of required industry paperwork,” resulting “in an annual net benefit of more than $1 billion.”

The complete Final Rule is available here.

Contact a Columbia SC Personal Injury Lawyer at Chappell Smith & Arden, P.A. Attorneys at Law

If you have been injured in a truck crash – or in any type of motor vehicle accident, contact a Columbia SC personal injury lawyer at Chappell Smith & Arden, P.A. for clear answers about your rights and options for proceeding, as well as effective legal advocacy moving forward. Since 1993, our lawyers have been committed to protecting the rights of injured people and helping them succeed in their financial recovery.

Call our firm at 866-881-8623 or email us via the contact form on this page to set up a free, no obligations initial consult with one of our lawyers. During this meeting, you can find out more about your rights, as well as how we can help you.

From our six office locations throughout South Carolina, our attorneys provide the highest quality legal services to injured people and families in Columbia, Alken, Camden, Sumter, Orangeburg, Greenville, Florence, Beaufort, Irmo, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, West Columbia, Rock Hill, Charleston, Lexington, Winnsboro, Summerville, and throughout South Carolina.