Year of the ELD: A Timeline

A Look Back at TT's 2017 Coverage of the Mandate
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Teletrac Inc.

The Dec. 18 phase-in of the mandate for electronic logging devices might be THE story in trucking of 2017 — and the mandate's effect will live into 2018 and well beyond.

Our stories ran the gamut ...

  • Technology companies opened the floodgates on hardware and software to meet the mandate.
  • Carriers debated the costs versus the benefits of ELDs.
  • Stakeholders made predictions about the regulation's effect on the industry and its sectors.
  • Drivers speculated about how they would adapt.
  • Opponents unsuccessfully led efforts in Congress and elsewhere to delay the mandate.

YOUR GUIDE TO THE MANDATE: Downloadable PDF. 

2017 YEAR IN REVIEW: Complete coverage, links to additional features



Here are highlights of TT's in-depth 2017 coverage of the ELD mandate, in words, pictures and video, in chronological order:

Dec. 14, 2016 — The "odyssey" actually began with our last LiveOnWeb program of 2016.

March 23Navistar to Launch Own ELD, Telematics Hardware

The truck maker launched its own aftermarket telematics device and e-logging application, joining the deluge of companies in 2017 that introduced tech to meet the mandate.

April 3ELDs Hot Topic at MATS as December Mandate Looms

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FMCSA leads a seminar on ELDs at MATS. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)

April 12OOIDA Petitions US Supreme Court to Reject E-Logging Device Rule

Owner-operators and small trucking companies led the ultimately unsuccessful push to delay the ELD mandate. The High Court turned away OOIDA's bid. 

May 18More Than Half of Drivers Still Aren't ELD-Compliant, Survey Finds

July 20FMCSA Chief: CSA to Have Public Meeting, Defends ELD Mandate

July 26Kenworth Assesses Ramifications of ELDs on Business

The mandate forced a lot of companies to take a close look at how ELDs would affect the bottom line. This OEM had concerns about the devices' impact on truck production and valuation and fleet maintenance.

Aug. 9ELDs Must Be Registered at FMCSA, Official Reminds Safety Inspectors

Aug. 16

Aug. 17ELD Mandate on Track, Spear Says

American Trucking Associations favors ELDs and their implementation, and the federation's leader led the call for an end of opposition to the mandate:

It’s been litigated, it’s been debated, it’s been regulated. It will be the force and effect of law.

ATA President Chris Spear

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Aug. 21New ELD Vendors Flood Market as Mandate Nears

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Aug. 21Training Can Ease Transition to ELDs

Aug. 21Dawn of the ELD Era

The arrival of the mandate was widely expected to create significant ripple effects across the supply chain. Freight execs and shippers detail their efforts to adapt.

Aug. 25Analysts Predict Spot Rates Could Soar Once Mandate Goes Into Effect

Aug. 28Trucks Without ELDs Won’t Be Placed Out of Service Until April 1

Commercial vehicle inspectors will have their hands full with the enforcement load, so they decided on a stepped approach of ticketing violators starting Dec. 18 but not placing any out of service until April 1.

Aug. 29

Sept. 21Intermodal Could Gain From Trickle Down of ELD Mandate, Execs Say

Where there were fears of the adverse impact of ELDs, experts predicted their implementation will trickle down to the benefit of intermodal. 

Oct. 21Industry Prepares for Transition to ELDs

A fleet executive, a federal regulator and a law enforcement leader discuss final preparations for the ELD mandate.

Oct. 30Exemption Requests Increase as ELD Enforcement Date Nears

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Nov. 22Moving to ELDs: Carriers, Law Enforcement Prepare for Mandate

Dec. 6ELD Mandate Magnifies Parking Shortage, Washington Truck Exec Says

Truckers meet with lawmakers on the parking shortage — a nationwide problem as well as in Washington state. They expected the ELD mandate to add pressure to the parking crush.

Dec. 18 — Shippers, 3PLs Discuss How to Verify ELD Mandate Compliance

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