A new electronic log rule could be proposed by September, said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration head Anne Ferro Thursday, March 14, at a congressional hearing, testifying to a House subcommittee.<\/p>\n
The Highways and Transit Subcommittee \u2014 part of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure \u2014 questioned Department of Transportation administration heads for two and a half hours wanting updates on progress made to rules and initiatives in the MAP-21 highway funding law from last summer.<\/p>\n
The law requires that an electronic onboard recorder (electronic log) rule be made by the time the law expires in mid-2014.<\/p>\n
Ferro was questioned by the subcommittee\u2019s chairman Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Ore.) about potential issues of trying to squeeze every driver\u2019s schedule into what he called a \u201cone size fits all\u201d rule, including scenarios of drivers being close to home or close to a destination and running out of hours.<\/p>\n
Ferro said uniformity has been a big issue for FMCSA in making the rule, but that uniformity is a must to \u201censure a level playing field.\u201d She also said that most companies who switch find electronic logs to be \u201ceffective and profitable,\u201d and that most drivers \u201cover time\u201d prefer EOBRs to paper logs.<\/p>\n
She was also pressed by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) about the problems presented by detention time to hours of service rules and what the agency plans to do about it.<\/p>\n
A study is underway, Ferro said, and the agency is expecting results by 2015.<\/p>\n