Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Breaking News: FMCSA to consider easing 14-hour driving window restrictions

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is considering allowing drivers one off-duty break of at least 30 minutes — but not more than three hours — that would pause a truck driver’s 14-hour driving window.

The FMCSA announced Friday it would consider the change, which includes a stipulation that the driver takes 10 consecutive hours off duty at the end of the work shift, through a three-year pilot program. Details of the proposal can be viewed here.

“Truckers are American heroes —...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/breaking-news-fmcsa-to-consider-easing-14-hour-driving-window-restrictions

Should FMCSA lift restrictions on deaf drivers?

A lack of support from major trucking organizations, state licensing agencies and an influential medical group could impede efforts by disability rights advocates to lift commercial driver’s license (CDL) restrictions for truck drivers who cannot hear.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in December to propose a rule repealing requirements that commercial truck drivers be able to hear. NAD’s petition also requests that...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/should-fmcsa-lift-restrictions-on-deaf-drivers

Truck stops close shop ahead of Hurricane Laura

Truck stops along the U.S. Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana are preparing for a potentially devastating hurricane by closing locations ahead of the storm.

“Love’s is monitoring the latest developments as Hurricane Laura nears landfall in the Gulf Coast area,” Love’s Travel Stops posted in a bulletin issued at 12:15 pm EDT.

“We are taking precautions and increasing fuel and food deliveries today to stay stocked as people are evacuating. Our store and support teams are prepared to serve Customers...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/truck-stops-close-shop-ahead-of-hurricane-laura

FMCSA approves ‘performance-based’ chassis inspection training

Intermodal Association of America

The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) this week approved an industry association’s application that will allow container chassis mechanics to qualify more efficiently to become equipment or brake inspectors.

The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) requested the FMSCA exemption to implement the chassis inspection training through a “performance-based” approach rather than time-based as prescribed by the federal government. 

The association’s training program is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-approves-performance-based-chassis-inspection-training

Update: FMCSA poses questions on broker reporting requirements

In opening the door to comments on possibly strengthening broker disclosure requirements, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) spells out several questions about its authority that it believes it will need to have answered before coming to a conclusion. 

At issue is whether a requirement that a driver or other counterparty to a broker-managed transaction can get documentation on the deal from the broker — which is the current law — can be turned into a rule that the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/update-fmcsa-poses-questions-on-broker-reporting-requirements

Breaking: FMCSA to take comments on request for automatic reporting of documents from brokers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said Tuesday that it is opening a comment period on a request from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition that could lead to a requirement that brokers automatically share documentation on transactions with drivers and other parties to a deal.

The OOIDA request is that FMCSA require brokers to provide an electronic copy of every transaction within 48 hours “after the contractual...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/breaking-fmcsa-to-take-comments-on-request-for-automatic-reporting-of-documents-from-brokers

Mullen stepping down at FMCSA

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Deputy Administrator Jim Mullen is leaving the agency at the end of August, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has confirmed.

“We greatly appreciate Jim’s service and the work he has done for our country. Wiley Deck, currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary and former FMCSA Director of Government Affairs, will assume the role of Deputy Administrator of FMCSA,” a DOT spokesman said in a statement.

Mullen had been leading the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/mullen-stepping-down-at-fmcsa

Drug database reveals high rate of ineligible drivers

An overwhelming number of drivers with drug and alcohol violations have failed to complete the federal return-to-duty process, a trend that could have trucking capacity implications down the road.

Statistics released this week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reveal that of the 28,445 drivers registering at least one drug or alcohol violation in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, 26,443 – or 93% – are in “prohibited status” because they have not completed the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/drug-database-reveals-high-rate-of-ineligible-drivers

FMCSA reinstates groceries, paper products in latest HOS waiver

Emergency restocking of food, paper products and groceries at distribution centers or retail stores once again qualify for the national emergency hours of service (HOS) waiver, according to federal regulators.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had removed those categories when it modified and extended the waiver in June. However, “because of current conditions” related to COVID-19 relief, the agency decided to place those items back on the list of cargo that qualifies for...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmcsa-reinstates-groceries-paper-products-in-latest-hos-waiver

OOIDA presses regulators on detention time pay, truck parking

Owner-operators told federal regulators that repealing an 80-year-old law preventing them from collecting overtime pay could help alleviate the negative effects of increasing detention times at destination facilities.

“Unfortunately, drivers’ times aren’t valued, especially by shippers and receivers,” said Lewie Pugh, vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), speaking at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Truck Safety Summit this week.

“It...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ooida-presses-regulators-on-detention-time-pay-truck-parking

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