Senate pushes for EOBR mandate   

While it is by no means a done deal, the Senate is moving towards a federal mandate for EOBRs for all trucks and buses. The Senate Commerce Committee approved four bills on December 14 as part of the larger two-year transportation reauthorization measure. One of the bills calls for mandatory EOBRs and has the support of the ATA but is opposed by the Owner Operator Independent Driver Association.

The FMCSA mandate for EOBRs was thrown out by the U. S. Court of Appeals in the summer.

Although I am not a big fan of federal mandates, EOBRs are an affordable and effective technology to keep our highways safer and level the playing field between carriers who play by the rules and those who are not appropriately focuses on safe driving.