The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has withdrawn 133 electronic logging devices (ELDs) from its registered list following investigations that revealed serious compliance failures and alleged fraudulent practices involving commercial truck drivers’ hours-of-service records.

Announced on Thursday by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the enforcement action targets electronic logging systems that investigators say were being used to manipulate driving data, conceal violations of mandatory rest requirements and enable trucking companies to operate outside federal safety regulations.

Of the 133 devices affected, 121 were formally revoked by the FMCSA, while another 12 were voluntarily withdrawn by their providers after failing to satisfy the administration’s readiness requirements.

The decision forms part of a broader federal effort to strengthen oversight of the US trucking industry, particularly in areas involving road safety, driver qualifications and the reliability of electronic logging systems. Regulators are increasingly concerned that falsified records allow carriers and drivers to circumvent requirements designed to prevent fatigue-related accidents.

A growing crackdown on non-compliant ELD providers

The latest enforcement action follows a series of measures targeting electronic logging device providers.

According to previous reporting by FreightWaves in May, the FMCSA had already removed 79 ELDs from its registered list since January 2025, including 12 devices during a single enforcement operation in May.

At that time, approximately 1,050 devices remained on the agency’s registered list, while the number of revoked devices had exceeded 250.

For the latest investigation, the FMCSA has not identified the trucking companies involved or disclosed how many commercial drivers were using the affected systems. The agency has also provided no information linking individual devices to specific road accidents.

Three cases of alleged tampering with electronic driving logs

To show how some ELD providers reportedly allowed the manipulation of information that should be automatically logged, the FMCSA pointed to three examples of suspected fraud uncovered during its investigations.

First, investigators found that an ELD provider allegedly allowed motor carriers to call its customer support line and request the manual deletion of recorded driving time. Then the hours left out could be replaced with fake rest periods even if the drivers in question were still driving their trucks.

A separate investigation identified a provider who allegedly uploaded falsified driving logs while a roadside inspection was underway. Records were changed to hide that a driver had logged more hours than permitted by federal law.

In a third case, a company's electronic records showed trucks traveling at mathematically impossible speeds of up to 130 mph. The FMCSA said the manipulation was used to compress logged time on the road and make trips look shorter than they were.

These findings have further raised concerns about the effectiveness of electronic monitoring systems when providers themselves are allegedly involved in circumventing the regulations they are supposed to enforce.

Trucking safety revolves around hours-of-service rules

In the US, commercial drivers hauling property are typically allowed to drive for up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty under federal hours-of-service regulations.

There are also other requirements related to the time period in which those driving hours must be completed, and weekly operating limits.

To improve compliance, electronic logging devices (ELDs) were introduced that automatically record driving time and other vehicle operating information. Unlike regular paper logbooks, these systems are designed to make it harder to change or falsify drivers’ records.

But the FMCSA’s identified cases demonstrate how weaknesses in some systems and provider practices can thwart the intent of these safeguards.

Carriers have 60 days to swap out affected devices

Motor carriers that are currently using any of the 133 affected devices have 60 days to replace them with compliant electronic logging devices from the FMCSA's registered ELD list.

The agency also said revoked devices could regain their registered status if providers address and correct all the deficiencies found during the investigations.

The FMCSA has not released numbers describing the full effect of the decision on operations, so it is unclear how many trucking companies and commercial drivers will need to change their equipment.

For carriers, the removal poses an immediate compliance challenge, including replacement costs and the risk of out-of-service violations if they continue to use non-compliant equipment beyond the allowable transition period.