The United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced yesterday its electronic logging device (ELD) implementation national tour – a public education and outreach campaign geared towards helping commercial motor vehicle drivers transition to ELDs.

In several cities across the country, FMCSA subject matter experts will lead driver-focused presentations and panel discussions on ELD implementation.

As required by law, all carriers subject to the ELD rule must convert from paper logs or logging software to a registered ELD if they do not have an Automatic On-Board Recording Device (AOBRD) by December 18, 2017.

ELD are akin to the black boxes onboard airplanes. They make it easier to track and manage a driver’s activities and they synchronize with a vehicle engine to automatically record hours of service. The ELD mandate’s purpose is to reduce driver fatigue and workload, since drivers will no longer have to take the time to document their hours of service manually. Experts say some carriers pushed the envelope on hours of service when hours of service were recorded manually. Some industry observers also believe the ELD rule will precipitate a round of industry consolidation, as smaller carriers will decline to go the the expense of deploying ELDs and will prefer to sell out.

On the FMCSA tour, agency staff will man interactive exhibits and will answer questions, provide resources and materials, and review drivers’ and carriers’ responsibilities.

FMCSA’s ELD Implementation National Tour dates and locations are as follows:

July 13-15 – Iowa 80 Truckstop Jamboree (Walcott, Iowa)

August 24-26 – Great American Trucking Show (Dallas, Texas)

September 25-27 – North American Commercial Vehicle Show (Atlanta, Georgia)

October 14-15 – California Trucking Show (Ontario, California)

October 21-24 – American Trucking Associations Management Conference & Exhibition (Orlando, Florida)

November 6-8 – Women in Trucking Accelerate! Conference & Expo (Kansas City, Missouri)

More information about electronic logging devices, including the ELD rule, frequently asked questions, and other resources, can be found here.