Ag shippers still waiting on ELD delay request

A group of ag haulers have requested a one-year delay in meeting the ELD mandate. ( Photo: Shutterstock )

Agriculture industry representatives are still waiting for a response from the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding a delay for agricultural carriers concerning electronic logging device (ELD) rule enforcement.

Earlier this month, a coalition of agricultural trade organizations asked the DOT to delay the ELD mandate for one year for agricultural carriers. The group includes the Agricultural Retailers Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Grain & Feed Association, the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

“We don’t think the [ELD] law has any merit at this point to be pushed on everyone,” Donnie Taylor of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) told FreightWaves. “Our basic challenge is that no one is certifying the equipment. They say there’s equipment available but there’s no certification process and we’re concerned about our members in the ag business getting hoodwinked.”

The group argues that FMCSA needs to establish a strict protocol for ELD manufacturers to claim that their products are certified so that the industry can trust that the systems they purchase will be compliant with new regulations. Currently there are over 130 ELDs on the market with varying capabilities and functions.

According to a statement released by the ARA on Oct. 3, “The current process allows for self-certification by ELD manufacturers without a robust third-party screening process. Even though FMCSA is unwilling to certify ELD devices, there are manufacturers in the marketplace claiming that their ELD product is ‘FMCSA Certified’.”

The date for compliance for the ELD mandate is Dec. 18 of this year.

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