Hours of service under fire
The American Trucking Assocations have filed a petition with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia asking the court to review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s latest final rule for hours of service for commercial motor vehicle drivers. Read the complete press release here.
Driving jobs in the oilfield
We’re now official guest contributors to the blog at EagleFordShale.com. Check out our first post http://www.eaglefordshale.com/blog/get-a-cdl-in-10-easy-steps-start-a-career-in-the-eagle-ford-oilfield/ and all the resources at this site.
New HOS
Looks like the latest final rule for new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations on hours of service may stick. Landline Magazine reports that parties in the most recent lawsuit challenging the regulation have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit. However, that doesn’t mean that a new lawsuit won’t be filed, and it might. Numerous parties are still not happy with the 11th hour of driving.
Cell phone ban update
The Federal Motor Ccarrier Safety Administration and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration are amending the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to restrict the use of hand-held mobile telephones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). This rulemaking will improve safety on the Nation’s highways by reducing the prevalence of distracted driving-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving drivers of CMVs. The Agencies also amend their regulations to implement new driver disqualification sanctions for drivers of CMVs who fail to comply with this Federal restriction and new driver disqualification sanctions for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders who have multiple convictions for violating a State or local law or ordinance on motor vehicle traffic control that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones. Additionally, motor carriers are prohibited from requiring or allowing drivers of CMVs to use hand-held mobile telephones. This rule is effective Jan. 3, 2012. For details, go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for the terms “FMCSA-2010-0096” or “PHMSA-2010-0227.”
HOS news
The final hours-of-service regulation is currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget. Landlinemag.com reports that in a Nov. 28 court filing, the agency states that it expects to issue the final rule within the next 30 days. The proposed HOS regs were released on Dec. 23, 2010.
Put down that phone!
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a final rule specifically prohibiting interstate truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating their vehicles. The joint rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is the latest action by the U.S. Department of Transportation to end distracted driving…click here for details.
CSA
The American Transportation Research Institute has released a report on the impacts of CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) on the daily operations of motor carriers. Download it here. And be sure to view the presentation on CSA offered by David Saunders of Compliance Safety Systems. Find the link in our Nov. 16 post about the recent NAPFTDS regional conference.
NAFTA Pilot Project
Since entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mexico on November 21, 1991, on the equivalency of a Mexican Licencia Federal de Conductor (LF) and a commercial driver’s license (CDL) issued in the United States, the U.S. motor carrier safety regulations have recognized the LF as equivalent to a CDL. As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) explained in its Federal Register notice of April 13, 2011, proposing the requirements for the United States-Mexico cross border long-haul trucking pilot program, the Secretary of Transportation will accept only three areas of Mexican regulation as being equivalent to U.S. regulations. One of those areas is the reciprocal recognition of the LF and the CDL.
In the Agency’s July 8, 2011, Federal Register notice, however, FMCSA recognized concerns about the on-going
acceptance of the existing CDL MOU and committed to site visits at Mexican driver training, testing and licensing locations prior to beginning the pilot program to review Mexico’s on-going compliance with the terms of the current MOU. The Agency agreed to post reports of these visits on the FMCSA’s pilot program Web site . You can research background information by referencing Docket No. FMCSA-2011-0097.
CDL driver characteristics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning to submit an Information Collection Request regarding “the differences among the characteristics of individual commercial drivers.” The information will aid FMCSA in developing future safety initiatives. Comments on this should be submitted by Dec. 2, 2011. For more information regarding the ICR or instructions on how to file a comment, visit the Web site and reference Docket No. FMCA-2011-0225.
Brake Safety Week
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is conducting Brake Safety Week, Sept. 11-17. More than 50 percent of commercial motor vehicle out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections were for brake-related violations, according to their Roadcheck 2011 data. During Brake Safety Week, CVSA-certified Inspectors, brake suppliers, and industry partners conduct enforcement and education activities with drivers and mechanics at truck stops, weigh stations and other locations. For more information, visit CVSA.
The same week is also National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, sponsored by the American Trucking Associations. Motor carriers, state trucking associations, manufacturers, along with shippers, customers, highway patrol and local communities are among those who have organized events to honor the men and women who tackle one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. Celebrations can range from safe driving awards to cookouts at company facilities to windshield cleaning at travel plazas. Governors and local leaders are issuing proclamations in honor of the professional truck driver. For more information about National Truck Driver Appreciation Week visit the ATA Web site.
