FMCSA Seeks Comments on NWRA’s Industrywide ELD Exemption Request

FMCSA Seeks Comments on NWRA’s Industrywide ELD Exemption Request

Exemption Would Create Consistency Across Waste and Recycling Industry

Arlington, VA – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a Notice of Application for Exemption and Request for Comments in today’s Federal Register on the National Waste & Recycling Association’s (NWRA) application for an industrywide Hours-of-Service exemption as it relates to Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).

“We are pleased that FMCSA is willing to consider that the waste and recycling industry is different from most other sectors and is now seeking comments on our application,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “We are hopeful that FMCSA will come to this conclusion at the end of the process based upon the facts and submitted comments.”

“ELDs are actually counterproductive for our industry and increase risks associated with distracted driving due to the frequency that waste and recycling industry drivers must interact with them,” continued Smith. “Safety is the top concern for NWRA and its members. We want every single member of our industry to make it home each day safely, without a crash, and free from injury or fatality.”

NWRA urges all private sector waste and recycling industry companies to weigh in with their own unique stories and comments supporting this exemption before the April 29 deadline. Instructions on submitting comments can be found in the Notice here.

FMCSA granted such an exemption to Waste Management On October 25, 2018. NWRA filed comments supporting Waste Management’s application in August as part of an NWRA-led effort on behalf of the entire waste and recycling industry. The Association encouraged and coordinated comments from member companies including those submitted by Republic Services and Waste Connections.

An industrywide exemption would create regulatory consistency across the entire waste and recycling industry, solidify the exemption already granted to Waste Management and preempt the need for individual companies to apply for their own exemptions that would create a confusing patchwork enforcement system.

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ABOUT NWRA
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage waste, recycling and medical waste, equipment manufacturers and distributors, and a variety of other service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.

Contact
Brandon Wright
National Waste and Recycling Association
bwright@wasterecycling.org
202-364-3706