Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration May 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would establish annual fees and a fee bracket structure for the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement as required under the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005, enacted as Subtitle C of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, and invites public comment. The FMCSA requests approval to revise an ICR entitled, ``Training Certification for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators,'' that relates to the training requirements for drivers applying for a commercial drivers license.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) exemption from FMCSA's regulation that drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) may not drive after the 14th hour of coming on duty. The exemption for 70 motor carriers and approximately 3,000 drivers is applicable for a period beginning 7 days prior to and 2 days immediately following Independence Day in 2007 and 2008. Drivers who operate CMVs in conjunction with staging fireworks shows celebrating Independence Day will be allowed to exclude off-duty and sleeper-berth time of any length from the calculation of the 14 hours. These drivers will not be allowed to drive after accumulating a total of 14 hours of on-duty time, following 10 consecutive hours off duty, and will continue to be subject to the 11- hour driving time limit, and the 60- and 70-hour on-duty limits. The terms and conditions of the current exemption will remain in place for a second two-year period. FMCSA believes that with the terms and conditions in place, APA will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the regulation.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 26 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 21 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the prescribed vision standard. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these CMV drivers.

FMCSA announces the initiation of a project to demonstrate the ability of Mexico-based motor carriers to operate safely in the United States beyond the commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border. The project is part of FMCSA's implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) cross-border trucking provisions. The demonstration project will allow up to 100 Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate throughout the United States for one year. Up to 100 U.S.-domiciled motor carriers will be granted reciprocal rights to operate in Mexico for the same period. Participating Mexican carriers and drivers will be required to comply with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations, including those concerned with motor carrier safety, customs, immigration, vehicle registration and taxation, and fuel taxation. The safety of the participating carriers will be tracked closely by FMCSA and its State partners, a joint U.S.-Mexico monitoring group, and an evaluation panel independent of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The resulting data will be considered carefully before further decisions are made concerning the implementation of the NAFTA trucking provisions.