You can’t have missed the fact that FMCSA has spent much of 2025 removing electronic logging device (ELD) certification from a number of brands!
And more notices are coming as the agency reviews older ELD systems. Some brands have removed themselves after realizing they would fail FMCSA certification.
If you rely on dump trucks, end dumps, belly dumps, or lowboys to keep civil work moving, these changes can directly affect you.
That’s why Luis Diaz mentioned it in our interview last month.
Here’s a quick recap.
When FMCSA takes an electronic logging device off the approved list, fleets can’t simply run it until they have time to switch. They must
- stop using the hardware,
- move drivers to paper logs while they make the change, and
- install a compliant system within 60 days.
After that window closes, a truck running a revoked device is treated the same as a truck with no ELD at all – and roadside inspectors can park it.
This creates the kind of disruption that cascades quickly on infrastructure projects.
For example, when a truck is taken out of service, you feel the delay immediately. A dirt crew ready to backfill. A substation pad waiting for aggregate. A crane mobilization depending on a lowboy arriving at a set hour.
FMCSA’s push is focused entirely on Hours of Service compliance. The main reasons devices lose ELD certification are due to lack of accuracy, tamper-resistance, proper duty-status recording, and clean data transfer during inspections.
The agency has also started tightening how new ELDs are vetted before they reach the market. But that overhaul is still unfolding.
For now, your safest assumption is that the approved list may continue to change and you need to keep an eye on it.
Because these changes hit mid-project, you have to protect yourself.
A quick conversation during procurement will tell you whether an infrastructure hauler is paying attention to FMCSA updates or hoping nothing changes while they’re on your job.
What to Ask a Hauler About Electronic Logging Device Certification
Which ELD system do you run, and is it on the current FMCSA approved list?
The list seemingly shifts every week if you read the press! A responsible carrier checks it regularly.
How do you handle FMCSA ELD revocation notices?
You want to hear that someone inside the company monitors those alerts, moves drivers to paper logs immediately when required, and swaps hardware quickly.
Do your drivers work under Texas intrastate rules, federal interstate rules, or both?
Most sitework hauls stay local, but a single out-of-state run for equipment or materials puts that driver under the federal interstate HOS clock. A good carrier manages that without confusion.
Who inside your company is responsible for ELD compliance?
A named safety manager is a good sign. “The vendor handles it” is not. That’s a red flag.
Can you provide documentation if an owner or inspector asks?
On public, utility, or TxDOT-connected work, this matters. A hauler should be able to produce policies or anonymized logs without scrambling.
The enforcement pressure will continue for months. FMCSA has made it clear that ELD accuracy and reliability are becoming a priority again. When trucks are feeding a civil infrastructure job, you need partners who keep ahead of those changes.
For all your trucking needs in Dallas-Fort Worth, give us a call and let’s talk.