Many drivers say they will have to start taking
more risks and extending fewer courtesies to fellow motorists, now that the
clock is their boss.
On December 18, 2017, new regulations from the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) came into effect. They require the use of
onboard computers, known as Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), for almost all
commercial semi-trucks.
ELDs record date, time, location, engine hours, mileage, trucking
company, specific vehicle, and driver ID. Law enforcement will use the data from
the ELDs to fine trucking companies whose drivers exceed the legal limit for
hours on the road.
The
regulations took aim at accidents caused by fatigued or ill drivers who
exceeded the legally limited hours of service, such as the high-profile tragedy that
killed a man and severely injured comedian Tracy Morgan. Like most government
regulations, the ELD mandates fail to solve the intended problem while creating
a host of catastrophic side effects.
Even though truckers staged protests in the months leading up to
December 18, the mandates received little coverage from national media outlets.
Here’s why the ELD regulations deserve our attention.
1. They Dehumanize a
Very Human Industry
A trucker’s
job is to get goods from point A to point B. So while almost all truckers are
paid by the mile, the mandates regulate the hours worked.
The laws constrain truckers’ time, but their job depends on the distance.
This tension means that truckers are now disincentivized from
every other component of a job well done except for the time. The ELD mandate
makes shipments a race against the clock as truckers try to finish the job as
quickly as possible before they get fined. Many drivers say they will have to
start taking more risks and extending fewer courtesies to fellow motorists, now
that the clock is their boss.
Proponents of the new measures point out that ELDs don’t change
the hours of service regulations. The devices simply help to enforce the
current laws more accurately than pen-and-paper logs did. While this is
correct, it’s exactly why ELDs are so harmful. They make a one-size-fits-all
decision about how truckers should plan their own trips. These kinds of
regulations hurt any industry, but especially cripple truckers, who must often
make judgment calls based on traffic, weather conditions, rerouted shipments,
and other innumerable variables.
Anyone who has ever worked a job for hourly pay knows that
sometimes you have to stay after your shift to make sure the job gets done.
It’s the same for truckers, except now they will be penalized. This attempt to
dehumanize the industry is a foolish move, but it’s a tale as old as time for
government regulations.
2. They Will Likely Hurt
Trucking, and Thus Everyone
A few years
ago, 71 percent of independent and owner-operated trucking companies said they would
quit if ELD mandates went into effect. Smaller firms just can’t have
significant decisions made for them. Experts in the industry say many
experienced and over-60 truck drivers will use the new mandates as an
opportunity to switch industries or even retire.
While trucking fleets will shrink, those that remain on the roads
will be hindered in shipping goods on time. This is a terrifying prospect when
you consider that, besides your Amazon boxes, truckers transport extremely
important and time-sensitive goods like gasoline, medication, and hospital
supplies.
3. These Rules Treat
Truckers Like Criminals
American truckers are often fiercely proud and independent, as
many country music songs can attest. Their jobs are essential but arduous.
Since nearly every manmade object you’ve ever touched has been transported on a
truck, it’s in your interest to make sure truckers are treated well.
Truckers have a stellar record both for jobs done well and for
safety. The least we could do is give them some privacy. But the ELD mandates
swap the pen and paper for an expensive surveillance box that tracks drivers’
every move.
Law
enforcement can view the ELDs in roadside inspections, traffic infractions, and
compliance audits. The mandates’ apologists assure us that ELDs aren’t big
brother watching, but the National Security Agency revelations from a few years
back remindus that
bureaucrats don’t always keep their word on electronic privacy.
While the
ELD mandates were drafted in the Obama years, the current administration has
shown no signs that it intends to repeal them. America’s 3.5 million truckers and
their communities formed a crucial part of President Trump’s electoral base in
2016, and he would be wise to hear their plight. Rep. Brian Babin’s (R-TX)
November attemptto delay the
mandate was the latest in a string of legislative failures to prevent the
regulations from taking effect. So far, legal attempts have
also gone nowhere.
If the effects on consumers are as drastic as some in the trucking
industry predict, then it won’t be long before people begin to notice that
something is wrong. Either way, Americans should oppose the straightjacket that
the bureaucratic state is trying to place on one of the nation’s most important
industries.
Nathan
Barlow is a student at Columbia University, where he edits The Columbia Beacon.