The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has finalized its decision to extend a waiver from the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate for the Motion Picture Association (MPA). This waiver applies to all drivers involved in transporting to or from theatrical or television motion picture production sites, allowing them to use paper logs instead of ELDs.
The provisional renewal of MPA’s waiver in November 2022, subject to public comments, has now been officially approved. Following the agency’s review of the four received comments, it concluded that the waiver maintains an equal or higher level of safety compared to adhering to the ELD mandate.
Initially granted in 2018, MPA’s request for renewal highlighted that approximately 8,300 Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers, working either full- or part-time for the motion picture industry, face challenges in qualifying for short-haul driver exceptions in Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. MPA emphasized that these drivers spend an average of two hours driving daily, covering approximately 40 miles.
Given the unique nature of their work, MPA stated that the logs generated by these drivers, as well as the HOS records maintained by motor carriers, are intricate. However, through collaborative efforts, the industry has effectively managed the exchange of paper logs required by this work pattern.
MPA emphasized that the success in HOS management within the industry is based on a driver-centric system rather than vehicle-based. Each time a driver operates a CMV for a different studio or production company, there’s a need to reconcile the driver’s HOS record for the past week, which involves handling necessary paper logs. This practice is integral to the industry’s operations, allowing drivers to produce paper logs during roadside inspections for enforcement officials’ review.
FMCSA has renewed the waiver for five years, effective from Jan. 19, 2023, through Jan. 19, 2028. This decision acknowledges the industry’s unique operational requirements and ensures continued compliance with safety regulations while allowing for the use of paper logs.
Source: Commercial Carrier Journal
