PORTLAND, Ore. — Freightliner Corp., the largest truck manufacturer in the United States, believes on-board recorders will become required safety equipment in the near future, and is placing “black boxes” as standard equipment on its newest products.
James L. Hebe, president of Freightliner, said his company’s decision is recognition of the inevitable.
“I will tell you it is not ‘if and when’ anymore; it is only a question of ‘when’ [data recorders] become mandated. . . . I don’t care what the industry thinks about our position on data recorders: The ball game is over.”
He said it is clear that the regulators at the Department of Transportation and National Transportation Safety Board are moving to mandate “black boxes” on all heavy trucks to record safety-related information. He suggested that the government offer a tax incentive to offset the cost of the technology.
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