From: Fleet Owner
A final rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) going into effect Dec. 18 will absolve truck drivers of the responsibility to file reports for the 95% of pre- and post-vehicle inspections where no equipment problems or safety concerns are discovered – a change the agency expects will save the industry $1.7 billion annually.
Yet David Heller, director of safety & policy at the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), emphasized to Fleet Owner that the majority of those savings will only really be experienced by carriers still filing paper-based reports.
“Is this new rule a big deal? It really depends on the carrier and how they file such reports,” he said. “If they file paper reports, it’s a big deal. But if they file DVIRs [driver vehicle inspection reports] electronically, it’s not a big deal.”