Thirty groups have joined a coalition spearheaded by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association to seek a delay of a federal regulation requiring trucks to be equipped with electronic logging devices.

The coalition supports a bill proposed by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) that would delay the ELD mandate for two years. The regulation is currently set to take effect in December.

"The electronic logging device mandate is written so broadly that it has far reaching implications well beyond the traditional trucking industry," Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, said in a statement on the group's website.

There are significant technological and real-world concerns that have not been addressed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is tasked with enforcing the regulation, according to the association. Concerns include certification of devices or lack thereof, connectivity problems in remote areas of the country, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the ability of law enforcement to access data.

The mandate is expected to cost stakeholders more than $2 billion, the coalition said.

Coalition members include Agricultural Retailers Association, American Pipeline Contractors Association, National Association of Chemical Distributors, National Corn Growers Association, National Electrical Contractors Association and National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. http://bit.ly/2ybScVF

Opposition to the ELD regulation is not universal. The American Trucking Associations—which represents large trucking companies—issued a letter to FMCSA in July opposing any delay in implementing the standard. http://bit.ly/2xPiYSr

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