FMCSA overhauls ELD vetting for truck drivers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it is overhauling the vetting process for electronic logging devices (ELDs).

The agency said that the new process will be more rigorous to ensure non-compliant devices are blocked before they reach FMCSA’s registered ELD list. Currently, the agency regularly announces ELD revocations, where carriers using those devices must quickly find a replacement or face potential out-of-service complications.

The new process has the following key features:

• Initial review: Verification of contact information, technical specifications, and device images 
• Fraud detection: Cross-checking new applications against active, inactive, revoked, and in-process lists  
• Application categorization:
  • Category 1 – Approved: Application has met all necessary requirements for approval. 
  • Category 2 – Information Requested: Application is pending further information from the applicant. 
  • Category 3 – Further Review: Application requires additional internal assessment and may require additional documentation from the applicant. 
  • Category 4 – Denied: Application does not meet the required standards for approval.

“By strengthening our review process for ELDs, we are ensuring the industry can rely on trusted equipment and that hardworking drivers are prioritizing their health and well-being  so they are best prepared to keep driving America’s economy forward,” FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs stated.