Association News

The National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA), Arlington, Virginia, has filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting an industrywide exemption from Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rules. This is a stand-alone petition separate from NWRA’s previous comments filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and FMCSA in support of Waste Management’s request for exemption from ELD and Hours of Service (HOS) rules.

NWRA says drivers in the waste and recycling industry have daily work schedules that are set in advance, and they are eligible to obtain a 34-hour restart each week. They start and end their days at the same location, rarely going beyond a 40-mile radius, and their daily work schedules are managed by local supervisors.

“Safety is the top concern for NWRA and its members. We want every single member of our industry to make it home each day safely, without a crash, and free from injury or fatality. While NWRA recognizes the safety benefits that ELDs present for other sectors, these devices are actually counterproductive for our industry and increase risks associated with distracted driving due to the frequency that waste and recycling industry drivers must interact with them,” NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith says in a written release.

FMCSA has previously granted this exemption to the ready-mix concrete and asphalt industries, as well as to Waste Management. The association filed comments in August as part of an NWRA-led effort on behalf of the entire waste and recycling industry. The association encouraged and coordinated comments in support of Waste Management’s request from member companies, like those submitted by Republic Services and Waste Connections.