NASHVILLE. Electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) have the potential to improve fleet safety and efficiency while simplifying recordkeeping for drivers and fleet managers, according to a new white paper released by Qualcomm during the National Private Truck Council annual conference being held here. The paper outlines current EOBR regulations and discusses in detail new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration activity involving the onboard devices.
Written by Dave Kraft, sr. manager of government affairs for Qualcomm and chairman of the American Trucking Assns.’ EOBR Task Force, the paper details the EOBR rule proposed by FMCSA in Jan. 2007 but still under consideration. It also explains FMCSA’s Dec. 2008 policy statement requiring fleets to make all GPS and dispatch system data available during HOS compliance audits, as well as work on the administration’s wireless roadside inspection program.
Kraft concluded that “Over the next 12 months, we can expect to see the requirements for the next generation of EOBRs become more definitive” and that FMCSA will resume “its process to finalize the new … regulation for EOBRs.”
Kraft’s task force, which was created by ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council, “will continue its efforts to develop additional standards, focusing on information security and the details of certification requirements. … The combination of these developments will create a higher level of trust, efficiency, and interoperability that will enable better systems to manage driver hours of service compliance on an industry-wide scale.
