Discover your next big idea for life sciences at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in life sciences packaging—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries, all in one place this September

Live from the Cold Chain Global Forum: The ELD Transportation Mandate

How will Congress’ recent mandate effect the supply chain, with truckers’ hours electronically tracked? Now’s your chance to comment.

Bill Mahoney, the Enforcement Division Chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the Department of Transportation, addressed the Cold Chain Global Forum.
Bill Mahoney, the Enforcement Division Chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the Department of Transportation, addressed the Cold Chain Global Forum.

Driver fatigue is a serious issue in the transportation and supply chain community. And until recently, there was no electronic requirement to track how long a driver has been on the road.

Bill Mahoney is the Enforcement Division Chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under the Department of Transportation. As he explained at the Cold Chain Global Forum, the ELD (Electronic Logging Device) Mandate was passed in Congress in Dec. 2017 attempting to change the open industry secret that truckers drive for longer than they should at times.

The mandate necessitates that any driver required to previously keep a paper record of duty status must install an ELD in their vehicle for instant third party verification that they are not working more than 14 hours per day and not driving more than 11 hours per day.

The data they obtain can only be used for hours-of-service (HOS) violations. ELDs do not measure distance or if drivers are exceeding speed limits.

Mahoney said that the supply chain effects of this safety mandate should not be overlooked in an industry that already has a crippling shortage of drivers and capacity issues. With the grace period for the ELD Mandate over as of Apr. 1, driver bandwidth may shrink as much as 15% more.

The mandate is there to protect people, though it does mean that manufacturers will have to work with reduced flexibility. That means tightening up operations to avoid driver downtime. “Work with your carriers and your own supply chain. Every hour or minute that driver has to wait is one less hour in that 14-hour day that they can drive and move products,” he said.

Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in life sciences packaging
<strong>At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us in September to experience a breakthrough for life sciences products.</strong>
REGISTER NOW & SAVE!
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in life sciences packaging
FDA warning letters surge - is your team prepared?
New guide reveals expert strategies to prevent regulatory issues and respond effectively to FDA enforcement actions in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing.
Read More
FDA warning letters surge - is your team prepared?