Volvo Trucks North America, Receipt of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance, 33549-33550 [2017-15253]

Agencies

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 138 (Thursday, July 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33549-33550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15253]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2017-0015; Notice 1]


Volvo Trucks North America, Receipt of Petition for Decision of 
Inconsequential Noncompliance

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA), has determined that certain 
model year (MY) 2017 Volvo VNL and 2017 Volvo VNM heavy duty trucks do 
not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 
120, Tire selection and rims and motor home/recreation vehicle trailer 
load carrying capacity information for motor vehicles with a GVWR of 
more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds). VTNA filed a noncompliance 
information report dated February 9, 2017. VTNA also petitioned NHTSA 
on February 28, 2017, and revised its petition on April 29, 2017, for a 
decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it 
relates to motor vehicle safety.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is August 21, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written data, 
views, and arguments on this petition. Comments must refer to the 
docket and notice number cited in the title of this notice and 
submitted by any of the following methods:
     Mail: Send comments by mail addressed to U.S. Department 
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver comments by hand to U.S. Department 
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. The 
Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except 
Federal holidays.
     Electronically: Submit comments electronically by logging 
onto the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) Web site at https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Comments may also be faxed to (202) 493-2251.
    Comments must be written in the English language, and be no greater 
than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to the length of 
necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are submitted in 
hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are provided. If you wish 
to receive confirmation that comments you have submitted by mail were 
received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the 
comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    All comments and supporting materials received before the close of 
business on the closing date indicated above will be filed in the 
docket and will be considered. All comments and supporting materials 
received after the closing date will also be filed and will be 
considered to the fullest extent possible.

[[Page 33550]]

    When the petition is granted or denied, notice of the decision will 
also be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated at the end of this notice.
    All comments, background documentation, and supporting materials 
submitted to the docket may be viewed by anyone at the address and 
times given above. The documents may also be viewed on the Internet at 
https://www.regulations.gov by following the online instructions for 
accessing the dockets. The docket ID number for this petition is shown 
in the heading of this notice.
    DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement is available for review in a 
Federal Register notice published on April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477-78).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Overview: Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA), has determined that 
certain model year (MY) 2017 Volvo VNL and 2017 Volvo VNM heavy duty 
trucks do not fully comply with paragraph S5.2(b) of Federal Motor 
Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 120, Tire selection and rims and 
motor home/recreation vehicle trailer load carrying capacity 
information for motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms 
(10,000 pounds). VTNA filed a noncompliance report dated February 9, 
2017, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance 
Responsibility and Reports. VTNA also petitioned NHTSA on February 28, 
2017, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h) and 49 CFR part 556, 
and revised its petition on April 29, 2017, to obtain an exemption from 
the notification and remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 on 
the basis that this noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to 
motor vehicle safety.
    This notice of receipt of VTNA's petition is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
other exercise of judgment concerning the merits of the petition.
    II. Vehicles Involved: Approximately 862 MY 2017 Volvo VNL and 2017 
Volvo VNM heavy duty trucks, manufactured between August 15, 2016, and 
November 10, 2016, are potentially involved.
    III. Noncompliance: VTNA explains that the noncompliance is that 
the wheels on the subject vehicles incorrectly identify the rim size as 
24.5'' x 8.25'' instead of 22.5'' x 8.25'', and therefore do not meet 
the requirements of paragraph S5.2(b) of FMVSS No. 120. Specifically, 
the marking error overstates the wheel diameter by 2''.
    IV. Rule Text: paragraph S5.2 of FMVSS No. 120 states:

    S5.2 Rim marking. Each rim or, at the option of the manufacturer 
in the case of a single-piece wheel, wheel disc shall be marked with 
the information listed in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this 
paragraph, in lettering not less than 3 millimeters high, impressed 
to a depth or, at the option of the manufacturer, embossed to a 
height of not less than 0.125 millimeters . . .
    (b) The rim size designation, and in case of multipiece rims, 
the rim type designation. For example: 20 x 5.50, or 20 x 5.5.

    V. Summary of VTNA's Petition: VTNA described the subject 
noncompliance and stated its belief that the noncompliance is 
inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.
    In support of its petition, VTNA referenced a letter to NHTSA, 
dated December 5, 2016, from Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products 
(Arconic), which is the rim manufacturer, and provided the following:
    1. A 24.5'' inch tire will not seat on the rim; therefore, if 
someone tries to mount a 24.5'' tire to the rim, it will not hold air 
and therefore cannot be inflated.
    2. When tires are replaced, the technician will select the tire 
based on the size and rating of the tire being replaced. When Volvo 
manufactured the vehicle, the tire used was a 22.5'' (i.e., the correct 
size for the rim). Therefore, the tires installed by Volvo have the 
correct size on the sidewall of the tire.
    3. Volvo is required to list the tires size and inflation pressures 
on the certification label as required by 49 CFR 567. The information 
printed on the label is the correct size, a 22.5'' inch tire and 
reflects the tires that were installed when manufactured. The 
certification label is located inside the driver's door and can be 
easily accessed by the tire installer.
    Volvo concluded by expressing the belief that the subject 
noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety, 
and that its petition to be exempted from providing notification of the 
noncompliance, as required by 49 U.S.C. 30118, and a remedy for the 
noncompliance, as required by 49 U.S.C. 30120, should be granted.
    To view VTNA's petition analyses in its entirety you can visit 
https://www.regulations.gov by following the online instructions for 
accessing the dockets and by using the docket ID number for this 
petition shown in the heading of this notice.
    NHTSA notes that the statutory provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to file petitions for a 
determination of inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to exempt manufacturers 
only from the duties found in sections 30118 and 30120, respectively, 
to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of a defect or noncompliance 
and to remedy the defect or noncompliance. Therefore, any decision on 
this petition only applies to the subject vehicles that VTNA no longer 
controlled at the time it determined that the noncompliance existed. 
However, any decision on this petition does not relieve vehicle 
distributors and dealers of the prohibitions on the sale, offer for 
sale, or introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate 
commerce of the noncompliant vehicles under their control after VTNA 
notified them that the subject noncompliance existed.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120: Delegations of authority at 
49 CFR 1.95 and 501.8.

Jeffrey M. Giuseppe,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2017-15253 Filed 7-19-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P