Some drivers still against EOBRs

Many owner-operators are against the electronic on-board recorders (EOBR) proposal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Some believe they do not need a machine to tell them how many hours they should be on the road and that the current system of manually inputting hour of service into a logbook is sufficient.

For instance, Terry Button, a driver from upstate New York who works as a long-distance trucker, says that the less technology in his rig, the better, National Public Radio reports.

The new device would be a way to track how well operators adhere to the federal limits on driving hours in an effort to promote trucking safety. The current law states that they are only to work for no more than 14 hours per day, with 11 of those hours driving.

"I cannot think of anything good that would come from this," Button, told the news source "If I could, I would tell you honestly, and I cannot."

According to the FMCSA, more than 3 million roadside inspections were conducted by federal authorities in 2010. These checks resulted in nearly 20 percent of trucks being rendered out-of-service for non-compliance.

By Mark Priest

Some drivers still against EOBRs

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011