Printouts of Onboard Recording Device Records Not Required, FMCSA Says

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued regulatory guidance clarifying that commercial motor vehicles equipped with automatic onboard recording devices do not need to supply print outs of their hours records to inspectors.

Agency officials said they have learned that inspection officials sometimes request drivers to provide printouts even from their mid-1980s style AOBRDs — or to e-mail or fax records of duty status — and in some cases have been issued citations for failure to do so.

“Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations have never required AOBRDs to be capable of providing printed records at the roadside, although a driver may voluntarily do so if his/her AOBRD has that capability,” the May 12 guidance said.

However, the agency noted in the Federal Register posting that an enforcement official may request that additional information be provided by email, fax, or similar means within 48 hours for follow-up after the conclusion of the roadside inspection.