Impact of ELD Mandate on Moving Industry

Beginning December 18, commercial truck drivers will be required to comply with a congressional mandate to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to track their hours of service. The Department of Transportation passed the ELD mandate to increase compliance with hours of service rules and to ensure safety for truckers and other drivers on the road. Companies whose trucks are not in compliance by December 18 will face stiff penalties, including fines and having vehicles put out of service.

ELDs connect to a vehicle’s engine and automatically record driving hours, eliminating the need for drivers to manually log their hours. The advantages of ELDs are better and easier record-keeping, more accurate location and tracking information, decreased driver fatigue and improved driver productivity.

Moving companies and other shippers are assessing the impacts of this mandate and Suddath^® wants to make our customers aware of the potential effects: 

1. Strict enforcement of start and stop times for truck drivers could potentially extend time required to complete moves.

2. Van operators may choose to leave the industry, which could impact fleet capacity.

3. Labor expenses could increase, due to issues with drivers adhering to job time frames and the need for standby drivers to cover shift changes.

Suddath is committed to keeping our customers informed about the implementation of the ELD mandate, addressing potential impacts on our service and preventing unwanted effects on our customers’ businesses. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Suddath Account Manager or other Suddath representative.