Feds are removing electronic recording devices from approved list

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has placed two electronic recording devices on its vehicle recall list.

On Tuesday, May 21, FMCSA announced that the Blue Star ELD and ELD Mandate Plus have been removed from the list of approved devices.

According to the agency, both devices were recalled because they did not meet the minimum requirements set forth in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A, which requires that “the printerless EDD be designed so that the display can be reasonably viewed by an authorized person safety officer without (the official) entering a commercial motor vehicle.”

Carriers using currently invalidated ELDs will have until July 20 to replace the devices to remain compliant. Failure to do so within the time limit will result in failure to record service status and removal from service.

The agency, meanwhile, said motor carriers should “return to using paper logging software records” to record hours-of-service data.

According to FMCSA, devices can be re-added to the approved list after revocation if “the ELD provider corrects all identified deficiencies.”

With the addition of two new devices, FMCSA has revoked seven ELDs this year. Agency in February five devices removed for the same reason. None of these ELDs have been re-added to the approved list.

Since the electronic data logging requirement went into effect, FMCSA has made it possible for companies to self-certify devices. Currently, there are 986 devices on the Registered ELD list. Although the agency does not approve any of the devices on its registered list, the lack of oversight has created challenges for carriers in maintaining compliance.

In November 2022, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association asked the agency to establish a comprehensive certification process for ELD vehicles, stating that it had “become abundantly clear” that the current self-certification process was causing a “serious disservice to motor carriers.”

“Many of our members have reported wasting money purchasing defective or non-compliant devices that they believe are satisfactory simply because they are listed on the agency’s registry,” OOIDA wrote in a comment to FMCSA. “Introducing a comprehensive certification process would likely result in fewer non-compliant devices being listed. This would reduce costs for motor carriers, who may currently have to purchase several self-certified devices before finding one they can be sure is compliant.”

There are currently 188 devices on the recall list. Of these, only 24 were added by FMCSA. The remaining 164 ELDs are on “self-revocation” status. LL