The ELD mandate went into effect late last month, but not without its own fair share of problems. For example, take the shortage of parking spaces for truck drivers in the state of Washington. According to Sheri Call, the Executive Vice President of Washington Trucking Associations, the ELD mandate is only intensifying the issue.

What Is the Problem?

In 2016, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDoT) conducted a study on truck parking, which highlighted the severe shortage of truck parking spaces in Washington. Out of approximately 3,160 truck parking spaces available, only 718 are public and the rest are private.

That, combined with increasing traffic in Washington, is where the problem lies.

ELD Mandate Effects

Plus, the already implemented ELD mandate is starting to intensify the parking shortage problem as well.

The ELD mandate requires truck drivers to install ELDs in their trucks. These devices automatically record the truck driver’s hours-of-service and duty status information. Due to this automation, truck drivers are not able to spend extra time driving around to find a parking spot and then later correcting the records.

Possible Solutions

To combine the parking shortage, the WSDoT has created a map to help truck drivers see where truck parking spaces are available for commercial use. It also signifies where private truck stops, weigh stations, and rest areas are in the state.

In addition, the WSDoT is working to create an online, interactive map that can be updated frequently to relay the latest information to truck drivers. They are also working to create more park trucking spaces throughout Washington.

Where to Go From Here

When it comes down to it, to negate many of the numerous problems that can occur, transportation businesses need to ensure that there is strong communication between drivers and the back office once the ELD mandate has gone into effect,

In respect to the impending ELD mandate, if you need additional help, UTECH is here for you. With our knowledge and expertise, we will ease your fears, so you can continue doing your job efficiently.

We are leading specialists in the trucking industry, to help ensure safety for everyone on the roads. GPSTab has gone through a rigorous certification process, and we guarantee that it will make a great choice as an ELD or AOBRD solution for your business. With the well-known and tested GPSTab platform, our edition will provide more functionality to fleets of all sizes, while keeping drivers happy.