Harassment of drivers via e-logs not an issue, FMCSA concludes in study

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Updated Nov 15, 2014

big-road-elogBased on a survey of more than 600 drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has concluded that carrier harassment of drivers — especially harassment caused due to use of electronic logging devices — is minimal.

The agency released Nov. 13 a report titled “Attitudes of Truck Drivers and Carriers on the Use of Electronic Logging Devices.”

The agency began the study in March, interviewing 628 truck drivers at 24 truck stops around the country. It found that regardless of whether drivers use paper logs or ELDs, few said they felt they are harassed by their carriers.

“The evidence in this survey research does not support concluding that harassment occurs due to being in situation where HOS are logged using ELDs,” according to the agency’s report.

FMCSA sought to find with the study (a) whether drivers’ interactions with carriers constituted harassment, (b) the frequency of certain driver-carrier interactions and (c) whether ELDs made inappropriate or harassing interaction possible.

And though drivers who use ELDs reported more frequent instances of harassment via interrupted off-duty time with messages at inappropriate times, most driver respondents did not attribute 95 percent or more instances of harassment to the use of ELDs.

More than 70 percent of the drivers surveyed said each of the following was true for their use of ELDs: (1) They have less paperwork to fill out (2) They save time and make hours compliance easier (3) Their relationship with their fleet manager had been “enhanced” and (4) They felt more protected from overbearing management.

However, more than half also said that the following were true about their ELD use: (1) They give their fleets’ management too much of an insight into their day (2) The devices prevent them from doing their job the way they want and (3) They make them feel less independent.

CCJ sister site Overdrive has a full report on FMCSA’s study. Click here to read it.