FMCSA cracks down on ELD tampering and adds 10-hour out-of-service penalty

Federal inspectors now place drivers with altered electronic logs out of service for ten hours. This penalty started in April. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance made ELD tampering a top priority during its May roadside enforcement campaign.

Inspectors verify driving time using toll records, fuel receipts, and license plate readers. They question drivers about their routes before checking the device. This stops vendors from changing data while an officer watches the screen.

The agency has delisted ninety-five devices since January 2025. It also halted new vendor approvals while it audits current equipment. False duty status records ranked as the second most cited driver violation in 2025, with more than fifty-eight thousand cases.

Carriers must confirm their device remains on the official federal list. Authorized staff should control all administrative settings and keep the software updated. Legitimate systems lock automatically recorded driving time and require driver approval for any corrections.

Source: Transport Topics — https://www.ttnews.com/articles/ghost-drivers-eld