Electronic recorder study

Information on the current use of electronic recorders (ERs) and opinions on mandatory electronic recorder use was obtained from truck and bus fleets and owner operators through the cooperation of several trucking industry associations. This study does not address the relationship of electronic recorders to compliance with hours of service (HOS), nor the relationship of compliance with HOS to fatigue or safety. Due to the low response rate (12%), the results cannot be considered as representative of the larger population of fleets and trucks. One-third or more of responding National Private Truck Council (NPTC) members, and large private and for-hire fleets used electronic recorders, although only about half were equipped with the HOS function. There is a clear pattern, evident in the responses received and the 1992 TIUS data, of increasing ER use with larger fleets. ER use ranges from 0 to only a few percent in small truck fleets, among owner operators and in bus fleets. Use of electronic recorders to maintain HOS records saved drivers 20 minutes per day in comparison to paper logbooks, based on the median difference. Administrative personnel saved 20 minutes per driver per month using electronic recorders. These results should not be considered representative of the national population due to the low response rate and small sample size. The association between fleet size and the use of electronic recorders appears to be an important issue. Based on the 1996 MCMIS data, 90% of all carriers operate less than 9 trucks. There is no evidence that ERs are cost effective in small fleets. The overwhelming view of fleets of all sizes is that mandatory use of electronic recorders would require an excessive expenditure for minimal benefits.