What does the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have to say about electronic onboard recorder (EOBR) and automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) mandates and performance specifications?

EOBR and AOBRD mandates

Beginning on June 4, 2012, any carrier that has demonstrated serious noncompliance with Hours of Service (HOS) rules will be subject to the mandatory installation of an EOBR that meets §395.16 technical specifications standards.  If, after a compliance review, the FMCSA determines that the motor carrier has a ten percent or greater violation rate for any HOS regulation, the FMCSA will issue the carrier an EOBR remedial directive. In short, that means the motor carrier will be required to install §395.16 compliant EOBRs in all of its commercial motor vehicles for a period of two years, unless the carrier has equipped its vehicles with AOBRDs that meet §395.15 standards before June 4, 2012. 

Estimates suggest this rule will impact 5,700 interstate carriers.

Trucking companies and owner-operators who choose to voluntarily install AOBRDs before the proposed rule goes into effect, may continue to use those devices for the length of their vehicle’s service life, provided that they meet current requirements as defined by the FMCSA.

AOBRD performance specifications

Automatic on-board recording devices that meet FMCSA §395.15 performance specifications will:

• Synchronize to the vehicle’s engine or other engine equipment
• Allow drivers to update duty status only when the vehicle is not in motion
• Allows law enforcement personnel to easily access Hours-of-Service digital records
• Be tamper proof

EOBR performance specifications

Electronic on-board recorders that meet FMCSA §395.16 performance specifications will:

• Synchronize to the vehicle’s engine or other engine equipment
• Identify which driver is operating the vehicle
• Use global positioning to record the vehicle’s location, date, and time at each change of duty status and record the vehicle’s location while in motion
• Allow drivers to annotate their logs, but retain all of its original data
• Allows law enforcement personnel to easily access Hours-of-Service digital records
• Be tamper proof

Related articles:

FMCSA still pursuing EOBR rule

Turnpike EOBR is 395.16-ready