March 14, 2018

United Fresh weighs in on 90-day trucking rule waiver

United Fresh is commending the government’s decision to issue an additional waiver for compliance with the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule for 90 days.
Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for United Fresh, has commented on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announcing the waiver from the ELD for agriculture related transportation.

The initial date to comply with the rule was slated for December of 2017. According to the FMCSA, requires of the rule include:

  • Requires ELD use by commercial drivers who are required to prepare hours-of-service records of duty status.
  • Sets ELD performance and design standards, and requires ELDs to be certified and registered with FMCSA.
  • Establishes what supporting documents drivers and carriers are required to keep.
  • Prohibits harassment of drivers based on ELD data or connected technology (such as fleet management system). The rule also provides recourse for drivers who believe they have been harassed.

Guenther said United Fresh commends FMCSA Administrator Raymond Martinez for acknowledging the needs of the fresh produce industry and appreciates the agency’s engagement so far.

“We look forward to continuing to work with FMCSA as this process moves forward and look forward to the upcoming release of their final guidance on this issue,” Guenther said. “This additional 90-day waiver and upcoming guidance will help to clarify some of the unique issue areas faced by fresh produce carriers hauling highly perishable and time sensitive commodities to American consumers.”

 

 





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