Trump’s FMCSA nominee stands by ELD mandate

Updated Nov 5, 2017

The man chosen by President Trump to run the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Tuesday said he does not expect to delay the regulation that requires electronic logging devices in most trucks starting in about six weeks.

Raymond P. Martinez told a panel of Senators on Tuesday he has no plans to delay the agency’s Dec. 18 deadline for compliance with the ELD mandate should he be confirmed to run the agency. Martinez did say he intends to examine how the rule could affect small trucking firms, if confirmed.

Raymond P. MartinezRaymond P. Martinez

“I have heard this rule could cause serious hardship to some small independent truckers, particularly those in the agriculture sector,” he said. “I want to meet with those involved who oppose the rule to learn more about those concerns.”

Martinez testified Tuesday in front of the Senate’s Commerce Committee as part of his confirmation process. The Senate must confirm Martinez by a simple majority vote for him to take the reins of Washington’s trucking regulatory body.

“Our goal is not to cripple commerce, but to make our roadways safer,” Martinez said in response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Cruz asked Martinez that, given the estimated $2 billion price tag associated with industry-wide compliance with the mandate, whether he’d consider delaying the Dec. 18 deadline.

Martinez said he believes “regulatory reform should be an ongoing process,” but that “it’s my understanding with regards to ELDs that they are legally required” ahead of the December deadline.

He was asked only a handful of questions, two of which pertained to the ELD mandate.