Scopelitis Transportation Consulting

FMCSA’s CDL rule will be test for safety, freight capacity

WASHINGTON — How effective a new CDL requirement is at keeping the roads safer from drug and alcohol abusers could hinge on the ability of individual states to implement the change that will affect tens of thousands of truck drivers.

The new requirement, referred to by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as Clearinghouse II and scheduled to take effect Monday, will immediately revoke the driving privileges of close to 200,000 CDL holders, based on the latest Drug & Alcohol...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsas-cdl-rule-will-be-test-for-safety-freight-capacity

Election-year politics could slam brakes on trucking regulations

This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Enterprise Fleet Summit on Wednesday.

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Regulations affecting large fleets

DETAILS: Scopelitis Transportation Consulting Co-Director P. Sean Garney surveys the regulatory landscape and what large fleets can expect in the year ahead.

KEY QUOTES FROM P. Sean Garney:

window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[300, 100], [320,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/election-year-politics-could-slam-brakes-on-trucking-regulations

FMCSA will consider rollbacks to truck driver rest-break rules

WASHINGTON — Regulators will consider rolling back federal preemption decisions on truck driver work rules by issuing waivers to those who can show that stricter state rules in California and Washington are more safe.

In a notice published Friday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it will consider waiver requests of its Dec. 21, 2018, ruling affirming that California Meal and Rest Break (MRB) rules — and a similar Nov. 17, 2020, ruling regarding Washington state MRB rules —...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-will-consider-rollbacks-to-truck-driver-rest-break-rules

FMCSA tries to clarify policy on hours-of-service exemption requests

Truck cab electronic logging device.

Recent requests seeking exemptions from trucking hours-of-service rules have raised questions about how federal regulators view such requests and what kind of response they are required to provide.

Ronnie Brown III, who drives for Waterloo, Iowa-based Gray Transportation, applied in June to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from both HOS and rules requiring drivers to have ELDs installed in their cab.

Brown contended in his application — a two-page email to FMCSA —...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-tries-to-clarify-policy-on-hours-of-service-exemption-requests

FMCSA updates guidance for truck driver medical examiners

Medical building

For the first time in seven years, physicians have reliable guidance they can use to help determine if commercial truck drivers are physically fit to operate their vehicles.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday published a draft of its new Medical Examiner’s Handbook (MEH). The handbook provides information on driver health requirements and guidelines used by medical examiners (MEs) listed on FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners to interpret regulations...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-updates-guidance-for-truck-driver-medical-examiners

La FMCSA actualiza las directrices para los examinadores médicos de conductores de camiones

Medical building

Por primera vez en siete años, los médicos tienen una guía fiable que pueden utilizar para ayudar a determinar si los conductores de camiones comerciales son físicamente aptos para operar sus vehículos. 

La Administración Federal de Seguridad de Autotransportes publicó el martes un borrador de su nuevo Manual del Médico Forense (MEH por sus siglas en inglés). El manual proporciona información sobre los requisitos de salud del conductor y las directrices utilizadas por los examinadores médicos...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/la-fmcsa-actualiza-las-directrices-para-los-examinadores-medicos-de-conductores-de-camiones

DOT to consider oral drug testing option for trucking

A new federal drug testing proposal aimed at saving the trucking industry time and money may prove less effective for cracking down on drivers who are habitual drug users, according to a regulatory expert.

The 120-page proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation, scheduled for publication on Monday, would revise drug testing program procedures on the books since 1998 that require DOT-regulated industries to use only urine specimens for detecting drugs. Under the proposal, companies...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-to-consider-oral-drug-testing-option-for-trucking

FMCSA lifts restrictions on CDL knowledge test proctors

Trucking regulators have issued new guidance that strips away confusion over CDL testing standards and could help deploy entry-level drivers faster.

The guidance filed on Wednesday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration goes into effect on Thursday. It will allow third-party testers to administer the knowledge portion of CDL tests for all classes and endorsements without a state examiner present.

That seemed to contradict guidance first issued in 1993, and most recently reissued in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-lifts-restrictions-on-cdl-knowledge-test-proctors

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