Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Dec. 2, 2019:
CVSA issues reminder on Dec. 17 AOBRD-to-ELD deadline
Starting Dec. 17, 2019, all motor carriers and drivers subject to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) electronic logging device (ELD) final rule must use an ELD, noted the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance of law enforcement and industry in a release dated December 2.
The deadline holds the biggest import for carriers and drivers utilizing grandfathered automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs), which will no longer be allowed to provide records of duty status as a substitute to a required ELD. Motor carriers utilizing an AOBRD must have a fully operational ELD installed and in use on Dec. 17, 2019.
According to FMCSA, CVSA says, there will be no extensions or exceptions made to the Dec. 17, 2019, ELD rule deadline. CVSA noted inspectors will begin fully enforcing the ELD rule on Dec. 17, 2019; there will be no “soft enforcement” grace period, as previously reported.
Drivers not utilizing a registered ELD and subject to the rule on Dec. 17 will be considered to have no record of duty status, or no logbook, according to CVSA. That also applies to a driver still using an automatic onboard recording device. Such a driver will be declared out of service for 10 hours.
Read more about the AOBRD-to-ELD transition via Overdrive‘s three-months-long feature series from earlier this year on the subject:
Former full-service-lease trucks could be attractive for maintenance-conscious buyers
A buyers’ market of sorts may be emerging for used trucks, according to a variety of reports. (Read Overdrive sister publication Commercial Carrier Journal‘s recent report on the used-truck market from ACT research via this link.) The PacLease division of Paccar notes top-quality vehicles await for those who do their homework, and given in-depth maintenance histories of former PacLease full-service lease Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, opportunities to fully vet such used inventory may help potential buyers immensely.
“How a truck ‘looks’ is one thing, but the mechanical condition is a totally different matter,” says Justin Barnhart, General Manager of PacLease Texas Company Stores.According to General Manager Justin Barnhart of PacLease Texas Company Stores, trucks coming off full-service leases are often sought after by truck buyers due to such detailed maintenance records, in addition the way the trucks are spec’d — “typically designed with high productivity, weight savings, and fuel economy in mind.”
PacLease adheres to a careful preventive maintenance program. “PacLease trucks coming off lease – both long-haul and medium duty – have plenty of low-maintenance life left,” Barnhart says. They’re often anywhere from three to six years old with lower miles than many used vehicles of the same vintage. Most qualify for extended warranties for added assurance and protection.
PacLease used trucks are sold through Kenworth and Peterbilt dealership locations.
Waste collection company petitions for expansion of short-haul exemption
Republic Services, a solid waste collection company with approximately 16,000 trucks and 15,500 drivers, is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to extend the 12-hour on-duty period for the short-haul hours of service exemption to 14 hours. The company says its drivers routinely qualify for the short-haul exemption, but they occasionally can’t complete their daily duties in 12 hours.
The company noted that FMCSA has granted similar requests to Waste Management, the National Asphalt Paving Association and others.
FMCSA is seeking comment on the request for 30 days, which can be made at www.regulations.gov beginning Tuesday, Dec. 3, by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0369.
