Ryan Witkowski
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking an axe to yet another unnecessary paperwork requirement for truckers.
In a final rule expected to be published in the Federal Register on June 22, the agency will announce its decision to rescind the regulation requiring motor carriers to keep a copy of their ELD owner’s manual with them in the vehicle.
“There is no readily apparent benefit to continuing to require that the user’s manual be in the CMV given the use of ELDs since December 2019,” the agency said. “This final rule eliminates a regulatory burden on motor carriers without compromising safety.”
Despite not having to keep a copy of the manual, FMCSA said that drivers are still required to “understand the operation of the ELD on the vehicle to ensure the accuracy of their electronic records of duty status and to present this information during inspections by enforcement officials.”
The agency proposed rescinding the requirement in May 2025 and opened a 30-day public comment period on the proposal. In total, FMCSA received 24 comments regarding the proposal.
Those in favor of rescinding the regulation noted that ELDs often have an electronic version of the user’s manual built into the device, making the requirement to carry a paper copy redundant. Additionally, some commenters noted that maintaining a user’s manual in the vehicle is a burden on motor carriers and can affect their safety measurement system scores, particularly for violations cited during inspections. The commenters stated that its absence is usually not cited as a violation, but could be.
“This action is an example of commonsense regulatory reform,” the Association said in comments signed by President Todd Spencer. “We applaud the agency’s series of deregulatory proposals and urge FMCSA to further eliminate or modify unnecessary, ineffective regulations that have no connection to safety performance.”
Those opposed to the proposal said they felt the requirement to maintain a user’s manual in the vehicle was not a major burden. Additionally, the opposition noted that both drivers and law enforcement often do not know how to access the electronic version of the user’s manual, a complication further compounded by the various types of ELDs in use.
In response, FMCSA stated that drivers are already required to demonstrate the ability to operate the ELD upon an enforcement officer’s request, so they should not need to use the ELD user manual “unless they face a rare request.”
The regulation will go into effect on July 22. Petitions for the agency to reconsider the final rule will be accepted by the FMCSA Administrator up to the day the rule goes into effect.
