By the Connect Express Team, Glendale, AZ. Published October 30, 2026.
FMCSA is tightening its grip on electronic logging devices, and the FMCSA ELD crackdown now reaches past carriers to the freight they haul. Speaking at the WEX OTR Summit in Florida this week, FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling said the agency has pulled more than 100 noncompliant devices off its registered list. For Phoenix and Glendale shippers, the practical risk is simple: a driver running a revoked ELD can be placed out of service with your load on the trailer.
What FMCSA Said This Week
According to FreightWaves, Dowling told the audience, “We’ve removed over 100 noncompliant ELDs from the registered device list, and we’ve prevented nearly 600 from making it onto the list entirely.” He said the agency is focused on logging systems that can be manipulated to hide hours-of-service violations: “You can’t go in and edit logs by making a phone call. Anytime we hear of that, we’re going and investigating.” He also urged motor carriers to confirm their ELD providers are still on FMCSA’s registered device list.
Recent Removals and Out-of-Service Dates
FMCSA’s ELD news page shows how the removals play out on the road:
- On July 9, 2026, FMCSA removed 10 ELDs from the registered list for failing the minimum requirements in Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 395. As of September 8, 2026, officials who find a driver using one of those devices, or improperly using paper logs, should cite 395.8(a)(1) and place the driver out of service.
- On August 6, 2026, FMCSA removed five more ELDs. Carriers had until October 6, 2026 to replace them. Anyone still using them on or after that date is in violation of 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1), “No record of duty status,” and drivers will be placed out of service under the CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria.
Both deadlines have now passed, so any carrier still running one of these devices is exposed at every roadside inspection. FMCSA keeps the full revoked ELD list online.
Why It Matters for Shippers
An out-of-service order stops the truck, not just the driver’s paperwork. If that happens mid-route, your freight waits until the carrier sends another driver or truck, and a receiving appointment can be lost. We covered the usual reasons loads miss their windows in our guide to missed delivery appointments; a compliance stop is one of the hardest to recover from because nobody plans for it.
The ELD push is part of a wider FMCSA enforcement effort that also includes carrier registration, which we covered in our Motus registration update.
What Shippers Can Check Now
- Ask your carrier which ELD its drivers use, then look it up on FMCSA’s registered ELD list.
- If the device appears on the revoked list, ask when it will be replaced before you tender the next load.
- Make ELD questions part of your regular carrier review. Our carrier safety compliance guide lists the other records worth checking.
- If you want a plain-language refresher on how the devices work, read what an ELD is and what it records.
Questions about a lane or a load? Call Connect Express at 480-401-1998, email admin@connectexpressllc.com, or visit us at 5701 W Maryland Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301.
