Automatic/Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) in Commercial Motor Vehicles have nothing to do with safety. They are about control. EOBRs give carriers real time, on-demand duty status updates. Carriers can and do pressure drivers on loads, regardless of whether drivers feel safe, rested and ready to drive. EOBR is a tool carriers use for that purpose.
Nobody wants safe roads more than truckers. They want to deliver vital freight as safely and efficiently as possible. EOBRs run contrary to this due to the pressure to keep moving despite safety concerns, including weather, traffic or fatigue.
Small trucking companies run on shoestring budgets. A mandate that costs $5,000 per unit will put many of these family outfits out of business. USDOT and FMCSA can't afford to fund them all either.