Hours of service
Happy July! A revised rule regarding hours of service is due at the end of this month. Stay tuned.
Stopping distance
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administation has amended a 2009 final rule having to do with federal motor vehicle safety standards for air brake systems and stopping distance. Check out the amendment to FMVSS No. 121, S5 and the title heading of Table IIa. The word “drive” has been aded to the term “rear axles” to make the rule read “rear drive axles.” For details, read http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-7132.htm.
Haz mat fees to increase
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has announced that beginning sometime in 2010, the annual fee to be paid by those registrants not qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit organization would increase from $975 (plus a $25 administrative fee) to $2,975 (plus a $25 administrative fee). The reason for the increase is to fund the national Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants program at its authorized level of approximately $28,000,000. You may submit your comments for this proposed rule by March 4, 2010 by visiting http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Refer to Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0201 (HM-208H)RIN 2137-AE47
Truck parking
The shortage of long-term truck parking on the National Highway System (NHS) is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is nationally recognized that truck drivers frequently cannot find adequate, safe parking in order to obtain rest needed to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and ensure safety. Further, parking areas are often designed or maintained for short-term parking only, and as a result, allow parking for limited time periods. The Federal Highway Administration is collecting information necessary to evaluate and rank projects to address the parking issue. To find out more or to comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov and refer to DOT Docket ID Number FHWA-2010-0005.
Hours of service update
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced that the Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) will hold a committee meeting via conference call on December 7, 2009. The conference call is open to the public. The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The FMCSA is asking MCSAC to provide advice and recommendations on the hours of service requirements for drivers of property-carrying vehicle. For more information contact Mr. Jack Kostelnik, Acting Chief, Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation Division, Office of Policy Plans and Regulation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366–5730 or sent an email to mcsac@dot.gov.
Your comments needed!
The FMCSA is seeking general information regarding the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driving population and specific information on driver work history, work scheduling and compensation. This information is needed in many different types of analyses conducted by the FMCSA and would hel the agency to understand the impacts of proposed rules and the improvement of its safety programs. On December 12, 2008, FMCSA published a Federal Register notice allowing for a 60-day comment period. The FMCSA has received only one comments so far and really does want to hear from YOU. Send your comments by July 2, 2009. All comments should reference Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Docket Number FMCSA-2008-0035 and should be addressed to the attention of the Desk Officer, Department of Transportation/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. To submit a comment you may:
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● send an email to oira_ submission@omb.eop.gov
● send a fax to (202) 395-6974
● or mail your comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
You can read a profile of the FMCSA in the Article Archives on our Web site, www.bumper2bumpertruckbook.com.
