Tucker Blog
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs)
The FMCSA will issue a NPRM concerning EOBRs by June 2011. FMCSA is deciding if EOBRs should be mandatory or voluntary. They are mandatory for certain repeat offenders.
EOBRs are expensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $4,000 per unit. Universal use of EOBRs would eliminate forever, drivers “fudging” log book entries. Carriers who voluntarily use them now, support EOBRs, to level the playing field, and see the chance to buy smaller operators who can’t afford the increased cost.
Combined with CSA, shippers should expect mandatory EOBRs to: increase highway safety; lengthen transit times; increase freight cost, due to loss of “illegal” hours of productivity; increase cargo theft, due to HOS expirations while in less than ideal locations.
EOBRs are expensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $4,000 per unit. Universal use of EOBRs would eliminate forever, drivers “fudging” log book entries. Carriers who voluntarily use them now, support EOBRs, to level the playing field, and see the chance to buy smaller operators who can’t afford the increased cost.
Combined with CSA, shippers should expect mandatory EOBRs to: increase highway safety; lengthen transit times; increase freight cost, due to loss of “illegal” hours of productivity; increase cargo theft, due to HOS expirations while in less than ideal locations.
