Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration June 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA amends its September 27, 2002, final rule concerning protection against shifting and falling cargo for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) operated in interstate commerce in response to petitions for rulemaking from the American Trucking Association (ATA), Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Georgia-Pacific Corporation (Georgia-Pacific) and Weyerhaeuser, and in response to issues raised by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), the Forest Resources Association, Inc. (FRA), the Washington Contract Loggers Association and the Washington Log Truckers Conference (WCLA/WLTC), and the Timber Producers Association of Michigan and Wisconsin (TPA). The amendments make the final rule more consistent with the December 18, 2000, notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to adopt the North American Cargo Securement Standard Model Regulations. This final rule also includes several editorial revisions to the 2002 final rule. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL- 401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit https://dms.dot.gov.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew Isuzu Motors America, Inc.'s (Isuzu), exemption from the Agency's requirement for drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL). Isuzu requested that its exemption for 19 Japanese engineers and technicians be renewed to enable these individuals to continue test driving CMVs in the United States for Isuzu. All of the individuals hold a valid Japanese CDL. FMCSA believes the knowledge and skills testing and training program that drivers must undergo for a Japanese CDL ensures a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the U.S. requirement for a CDL.

FMCSA announces that it has received a petition or formal request from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a determination whether the State may continue to require motor carriers to display weight-mile tax credentials. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) prohibits States from requiring motor carriers to display in, or on, commercial motor vehicles any form of identification other than forms required by the Secretary of Transportation. However, SAFETEA-LU also provides that a State may continue to require display of credentials that are required under a State law regarding motor vehicle license plates or other displays that the Secretary determines are appropriate. ODOT requested that FMCSA make a determination that its weight-mile tax credentials are appropriate under SAFETEA-LU. FMCSA requests public comment on ODOT's petition for determination.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 47 individuals for exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the Federal vision standard.