A federal mandate for almost all US truck drivers to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) by December 18, 2017 was recently challenged in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The mandate was upheld unanimously by the Court, in a decision made in October.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) brought the challenge of this mandate to this Court of Appeals with allegations that the mandate violates the truckers' 4th Amendment rights. The 4th Amendment reads as follows, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Despite these claims, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the federal mandate, stating that it did not, in fact, violate the 4th Amendment. The OOIDA also challenged the mandate by arguing that it failed to comply to the standards Congress set for any ELD mandate. This claim was also denied by the Circuit Court.
Though this ruling was unanimous, the OOIDA could make a final appeal to the United States Supreme Court. What do you think? Have you installed an ELD yet?
