The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is once again urging federal officials to require all commercial trucks and buses to use electronic identification (ID) trackers.

What's new: In a recent letter sent August 21, CVSA asked the Department of Transportation to make these e-IDs standard on all commercial trucks, saying it would help authorities pick out rigs for inspections faster and spot those supposed to be out-of-service.

• CVSA claims the tech could quickly flag trucks operating with major safety violations or trucks tied to stolen DOT numbers.
• They say only basic truck info would be transmitted, not driver data, and that privacy for drivers isn't at risk.

Some groups in trucking, like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), have spoken out against these trackers, raising strong privacy concerns. CVSA disagrees, insisting there's "no credible privacy concerns" if it's just the truck's ID being sent.

Why it matters: There are roughly 13,000 inspectors across North America, but far more trucks on the road. CVSA argues these e-IDs would help stretch their resources and target higher-risk vehicles for a closer look.

This is not the first time the idea has been floated. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) already considered a rule back in 2022 that would've made e-IDs required on all interstate trucks, but it was dropped after backlash from the trucking world, according to government records.

Right now, FMCSA is reviewing the effectiveness of these electronic IDs as part of a new study.