5-Year ELD Mandate Exemption Granted to Drivers in the Motion Picture Association of America

The trucking industry is still adjusting to the ELD mandate. Truckers were given a little more leniency with the April 1st deadline, which allows them to operate on paper logs without risk of racking up points against their CSA score. Several additional exemptions and waivers have been granted since then — like the livestock and ag haulers waiver and the short-term rental truck exemption, just to name a few. The newest addition to that list is an exemption for carriers and drivers associated with the Motion Picture Association of America.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is a trade association that represents the top six Hollywood studios, including Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal, and Warner Bros. The association is made up of filmmakers, actors, directors, producers, and writers, as well as behind-the-scenes people like makeup artists, lighting and sound technicians, and, of course, truck drivers.

Back in October, MPAA submitted a request to FMCSA to allow drivers hauling theatrical and production equipment to use paper logs exclusively. This is due to the fact that these drivers often work for different studios and production companies, who may use different ELD providers that are incompatible with each other. Therefore, the drivers would be unable to transfer ELD data from one carrier or vehicle to another.” MPAA insists that allowing its drivers to remain on paper logs “will not jeopardize operational safety or increase fatigue-related crashes.”

Among the roughly 6,500 drivers that conduct operations for MPAA, the majority spend less than four hours per day driving; however, they can’t qualify for the short-term exemption because many already operate under hours-of-service exemptions. Additionally, MPAA drivers often work for different studios and production companies that may use differing ELD providers.

In mid-January, FMCSA announced it is granting carriers and drivers in MPAA a 5-year exemption from the ELD mandate. This will allow nearly 7,000 drivers to continue running on paper logs for a minimum of five years.

Are you exempt from the ELD mandate, or are you required to comply? Use our handy ELD exemption infographic to find out. If you are required to comply with the ELD mandate at this time, feel free to contact us or check out our ELD options to improve your drive.