Per multiple sources and press releases, the Federal Motor Carrier Service Administration (FMCSA) has finalized and announced the mandate for installing the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) in all trucks.

The ELD device will be installed in a truck, synced directly with the truck’s engine, and will capture how much time a driver spends behind the wheel. By law, drivers are limited to 11 hours a day.

The ELD mandate will become effective on December 18, 2017. After that time drivers may be fined for not complying with ELD rules, however the mandatory 10-hour-out-of-service order that also comes along with non-compliance of the rules will not go into effect until April 1, 2018. Fines range from $67 up through the $200 mark, depending on the state a driver is fined in.

While the FMCSA is attempting to make the transition as smooth as possible for both freight companies and their customers, the transitional period is not a free pass for truckers, and the FMCSA will be monitoring for repeat offenders to the laws.

Although the ELD mandate is expected to cost a staggering $2 billion, Trucks.com estimates the new system will prevent 1,844 crashes, 562 injuries and save 26 lives annually by keeping tired drivers off roads.

An example of an ELD device in a truck.