West Virginia drivers may be interested to learn that the trucking industry is preparing to switch to an electronic logging system that will monitor and log long-haul truck drivers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Electronic Logging Mandate begins Dec. 18.

The mandate requires truck drivers to have an electronic logging device installed in their trucks. This electronic device will track and share the driver’s records. The device will link directly to the truck’s engine and capture the movement. It will then make a record of this movement and determine how much time the truck driver spent behind the wheel. The mandate has been pushed by the FMCSA to prevent drivers from cheating on their paper logs.

The president of the United Independent Truckers of America stated that installing the electronic devices on trucks is an invasion of privacy. Additionally, the devices would not log the loading and unloading times, potentially meaning that truck drivers may not get paid for that time. Other opponents of the mandate said that it would make it very difficult for small companies to compete. The organization is planning a truck stoppage on Dec. 18 to protest the mandate.

Truck drivers are often at risk for causing car accidents due to negligent driving, fatigue or even alcohol or drug use. Although this mandate may help reduce the number of trucking accidents, crashes will still occur. If a person is injured in a truck crash, he or she may be able to file a personal injury claim against both the at-fault driver and the trucking company that hired the driver. An attorney may assist with filing the lawsuit and providing evidence of unsafe or negligent driving.