On Friday, January 20th 2017, President Trump issued an executive order to put an indefinite hold on new regulations in the pipeline until he and his cabinet could further assess them.

With this new ruling in place, one of the growing questions people in the trucking industry are asking is, “How will Trump’s presidency affect the ELD mandate?” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s ruling on electronic logs has seen its fair share of opposition in the last year with the order recently being upheld in court, and despite many fleet managers remaining indecisive about choosing an e-log provider, the chances of it being overruled before the Dec. 18th, 2017 deadline are pretty slim at this point.

The Rule has Republican Origins

Republicans have always stood strong against federal regulations on the private sector, but, believe it or not, the ELD mandate was enacted in 2012 by Congress with a STRONG REPUBLICAN majority in the house. The idea that Congress would nullify what they themselves put into place is highly unlikely.

Additionally, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down the lawsuit by the OOIDA (Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association) – which stated the mandate would subject fleets to unreasonable search, seizures and harassment – reinforces the DOT’s legal authority to require trucks to be equipped with electronic logging devices.

Support in the Trucking Industry

Despite some major opposition to the mandate in the trucking industry, certain organizations like the ATA (American Trucking Association) have shown their support for ELDs, saying the use of electronic logging devices can drastically improve highway safety.

“ATA supports FMCSA’s efforts to mandate these devices in commercial vehicles as a way to improve safety and compliance in the trucking industry and to level the playing field with thousands of fleets that have already voluntarily moved to this technology,” says ATA CEO Bill Greaves.

How Trump could Affect the Trucking Industry Overall

Trump’s Presidency could have an impact on other areas of the trucking industry if he follows through with his campaign promises, such as more construction to create better roads, tax code changes that benefit smaller trucking companies,  and a positive economic growth overall for the industry through more consumer spending.

The import business may also see a major boost with Trump’s stance on trade and higher-quality goods which could further strengthen the trucking economy, but this will all be dependent on how his relations with foreign countries develop over the next four years.

Get Compliant Fast

The absolute worst situation a fleet manager could find themselves in is having a non-compliant fleet by the time the deadline hits. With CSA fines exceeding $8,000 PER VEHICLE, many fleets could be put out of business if found in violation. Eliminate the headaches and find out how easy it is to get compliant with the help of Fleet Trax. Contact us to get a free 30-day trial of our E-Log software and see why truckers prefer our paperless logs.

Get a Free Quote Today

smartdevices