Wilcox Truck Line has requested an exemption from the ELD mandate for loads for the Department of Energy that do not allow electronic tracking.Wilcox Truck Line, a 70-truck fleet out of Springfield, Mo., is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from the electronic logging device mandate when hauling loads for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) program.
In a Federal Register notice to be published Wednesday, April 4, Wilcox states it is the primary carrier for special projects at the U.S. Department of Energy’s INL.
According to the notice, in order to haul these loads, electronic tracking of shipments must be disabled “in order to limit identification of the physical location of the shipment.” Wilcox says it uses ELDs for its normal operations but would disable them when transporting INL loads.
In order to ensure the same level of safety that would be achieved through the use of ELDs, Wilcox says INL requires the following measures for its loads:
- Specific team drivers will be used who have been vetted by the DOE
- Logbooks will be used when ELDs are disabled
- Drivers will be required by INL to have a cell phone in their possession
- INL will require drivers to call in to INL’s 24-hour Warning Communications Center to report their condition and ensure they aren’t experiencing any issues
- The Battelle Energy Alliance will perform routine audits of Wilcox to ensure they are compliant with federal and state DOT requirements
If granted, the exemption would apply to fewer than 20 trucks and fewer than 40 drivers. Comments can be made on the exemption request here through May 4.
