BLACK BOXES * USA - White House clears EOBR rule

Washington,DC,USA -Overdrive, by Avery Vise -March 19, 2010: -- A final rule mandating electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) for carriers that have a history of serious non-compliance with hours-of-service rules could be just days away now that the White House Office of Management and Budget has cleared the measure... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is expected soon to publish the rule in the Federal Register... The regulation also would incorporate new performance standards for EOBRs installed in commercial motor vehicles manufactured two years after the rule’s effective date. On-board HOS recording devices meeting FMCSA´s current requirements and voluntarily installed in vehicles manufactured before that date could continue to be used for the remainder of the service life of those vehicles. FMCSA had proposed to encourage industry-wide use of EOBRs by providing certain relief from audit and recordkeeping practices... Meanwhile, the American Trucking Associations has sued FMCSA to move forward with a supporting documents rule. One of the major concerns is the agency’s decision in December 2008 to begin using satellite positioning data routinely in audits of driver logs. ATA argues that motor carrier obligations for maintaining supporting documents should be clear and established by regulation...


* White House Budget Office Approves EOBR Rule - Distracted Driving Proposal Also Sent to OMB

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -19 March 2010: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has moved a step closer to publishing two key trucking regulations — a final rule mandating that some fleets use electronic onboard recorders and a proposal aimed at limiting texting and other distracting activities by drivers... The White House’s Office of Management and Budget signed off on the EOBR rule late Thursday, according to OMB’s Web site...


* OOIDA challenges large carriers on issue of EOBRs

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine, by David Tanner -March 19, 2010: -- Electronic on-board recorders will not enhance safety, fix hours-of-service problems or respect driver privacy, contrary to what motor-carrier associations are saying, OOIDA leadership stated in official comments... Having made previous comments about EOBRs to the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the leadership of OOIDA was primed and ready to counter arguments made by large motor-carrier associations on issues of hours, safety and privacy... “OOIDA has consistently objected to EOBR measures as costly and personally intrusive devices that would do nothing to address the problem they promise to fix,” Johnston stated...