FMCSA denies trucker group's request to let drivers use paper logs instead of ELDs

On September 29, 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published a final decision in the Federal Register denying an exemption application from the Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT), docket FMCSA-2025-1282. FOPT had asked FMCSA to let professional drivers record their hours of service on paper logs instead of using an electronic logging device (ELD).

FOPT argued that paper logs are enforceable, that law enforcement officers nationwide already understand them, and that they cost small carriers less. The group also pointed to what it called "technical limitations and frequent malfunctions" with ELDs. FMCSA received 901 public comments. According to the agency, most came from individuals who supported the request, and safety groups such as the Truck Safety Coalition and Parents Against Tired Truckers opposed it.

FMCSA gave two reasons for the denial. First, Congress required ELDs in the MAP-21 highway law of 2012, and the agency said it is "bound by this Congressional mandate and cannot grant a blanket exemption for any driver or carrier that wishes to be exempt." Second, FMCSA found that the application "does not provide information establishing that the requested exemption would likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption," which is the legal test for any exemption.

This is a final decision on this application, not a proposal. The existing ELD rule is unchanged. That includes its current exceptions, such as the one for drivers who must keep records of duty status for no more than 8 days in any 30-day period.