President Trump and his administration have been working hard to reinvigorate our economy. However, all their hard work is at risk of showing no end gain for Americans if his administration does not address the glaring and problematic issues surrounding the ELD Mandate. The word to describe what is looming is: inflation.
Industry Publications Cite the Impact of Trucking Regulations
We are starting to see articles about the rise in the cost of commodities and consumer goods. A major factor in the rising cost is directly due to new trucking regulations causing a driver shortage. A recent article by Aaron Back in the Wall Street Journal titled, “General Mills Sounds Inflation Alarm for Food Industry” announced that General Mills shares fell 9% after they lowered their operating-profit guidance. The article points to rising logistics and freight costs. Unfortunately, this is just one example showing that our warnings about the impact of the ELD Mandate are coming true. The article reports, “The company (General Mills) cited higher commodity prices—including grains, nuts and dairy—as well as rising logistics and freight costs. On a conference call, management was contrite for not catching the trend of accelerating inflation earlier, and it outlined plans to respond by cutting costs, reconfiguring logistics networks and raising some prices.” Maritime Executive brings attention to the impact of the ELD Mandate in the shipping sector, “The ELD mandate in particular has had hard-hitting effects on all players across the massive logistics industry. Trying to secure a container for a full container load (FCL load) within a two-week window has proved cumbersome. Many shippers currently find themselves faced with either shipping only the necessary or paying exorbitant prices to load.” A February 27th article by Kristian Rouz reports, “US railways and trucking companies have yet to benefit from the Trump administration’s policy stimulus, as these two strategically important sectors are still struggling amidst burdensome regulations….. Subsequently, for the first time in many years consumers are set to experience food inflation – after more than a decade of zero-to-negative gains in food prices.”
Protect The Harvest Efforts to Address the ELD Mandate
Over the last two years, representatives from Lucas Oil and Protect The Harvest have been working diligently to bring a stop to the ELD Mandate and to address all of the surrounding issues. We have been sounding the alarm about the negative impact the ELD Mandate will have on American families due to the threat of rising costs and inflation. We have also sounded the alarm about the ELD Mandate and its impact on agriculture, hobbyists and the horse industry. We are very proud of the work that everyone has done to come together and make our voices heard. One result of that is the fiscal year exemption now available for livestock haulers.
Our Work Is Not Done – American Families at Risk
While this recent exemption is great news and will relieve some of the pressure on livestock haulers and agriculture, time will go by quickly since the fiscal year will end on September 30th, 2018. There is still work to be done. The exemption doesn’t do enough to address the bigger picture and the impact the ELD Mandate has on American families and our economy.
We have been communicating directly with Vice President Mike Pence and others within the administration about the ELD Mandate and hope the rest of President Trump’s administration will take stock in these recent developments and economic projections. Trump’s campaign promised the reduction and removal of harmful, worthless regulations. Addressing the overregulation of the trucking industry and the ELD Mandate will help to ensure that all of their hard work to invigorate our American economy will not be overshadowed by rising costs to feed our families. We are seeking total exemption and changes to the new rules that are causing our driver shortage. We are seeking a revamp of the old rules and regulations that allowed a driver to eat when he was hungry, sleep when he was sleepy and within reason, drive as needed to be as safe as possible and still make a good living.
Additional Information and Links
Information About the ELD Mandate
The ELD Mandate is a part of the bill, “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” that was signed by President Obama in 2012. It included a provision requiring the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to develop a rule mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) on commercial vehicles. The ELD replaces paper logs that have been in use in the trucking industry since 1935. The ELD synchronizes with the engine of a vehicle and keeps track of hours of service. It logs driving time, vehicle speed, routes, and keeps track of mandated rest periods as well as other data points. The way the ELD is being utilized to regulate and control almost every aspect of a driver’s life is causing many experienced drivers to quit and find other employment, and this will surely get worse. Unfortunately, and perhaps worst of all, the way the mandate is written it will encompass most all trucks and drivers, even PICKUP TRUCKS. For more information about the ELD Mandate and its impact you can visit our website: http://protecttheharvest.com/eld-mandate-introduction/
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