NWRA Urges FMCSA to Exempt Waste & Recycling Industry from ELD Requirement

NWRA Urges FMCSA to Exempt Waste & Recycling Industry from ELD Requirement

NWRA Seeks Same Treatment as Similar Industries

Arlington, VA – The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) has filed comments with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting an industrywide exemption from Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rules in response to a request for public input contained in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on Hours of Service (HOS) of Drivers issued by FMCSA and the Department of Transportation.

In the comments by NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith, the Association notes the safety benefits that ELDs present for other sectors while demonstrating that such devices are actually counterproductive for the waste and recycling industry by increasing the risks associated with distracted driving.

“NWRA calls upon FMCSA to recognize the unique nature of waste and recycling collection operations and create an industrywide exemption as it already has done for the ready-mix concrete and asphalt pavement industries,” said Smith.

The Association cites those exemptions and requests the same for the waste and recycling industry based upon its similarities to them. Waste and recycling companies operate local route service trucks with drivers starting and ending their days at the same location, rarely traveling beyond a 40-mile radius. The frequency with which waste and recycling industry drivers must interact with ELDs due to the start-and-stop nature of collection creates a hazard unlike other industries must face.

###

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