Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration June 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 58 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 exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

FMCSA announces the reappointment of four Directors who serve on the Board of Directors that governs the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Agreement as the representatives from each of the four FMCSA service areas. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) created the UCR Agreement. Under the UCR Agreement, for-hire and private motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies provide registration and financial responsibility information and pay certain fees. The UCR Agreement replaced the Single State Registration System (SSRS), which was repealed January 1, 2007.

This notice advises the public that FMCSA is placing in the public docket four additional documents concerning hours of service (HOS) for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. FMCSA published an interim final rule (IFR) on this issue on December 17, 2007. The Agency now dockets the supplemental documents.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 68 individuals for exemptions 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.

FMCSA has received an application from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for an exemption from certain provisions of the Agency's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. DOE proposes that its contract motor carriers and their employee-drivers engaged in the transportation of transuranic waste (TRU) be granted an exemption from the HOS rules pertaining to use of a sleeper berth (SB). Current HOS rules require that all SB rest regimens include, in part, the regular use of a SB period of at least 8 hourscombined with a separate period of at least 2 hours, either in the SB, off-duty or some combination of bothto gain the equivalent of at least 10 consecutive hours off-duty. DOE proposes that its contract drivers be allowed to take the equivalent of 10 consecutive hours off duty by splitting SB time into two periods, provided neither of the two periods is less than 2 hours. DOE asserts that if its request for exemption is granted, the level of safety of its TRU operations would be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the current HOS regulations. FMCSA requests public comment on DOE's application for exemption.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 56 individuals for exemptions from the prohibition against persons with insulin- treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals with ITDM to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces a public meeting of the Agency's MRB. The MRB public meeting will provide the public an opportunity to observe and participate in MRB deliberations about the revision and development of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) medical standards, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

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 its review and approval. The FMCSA requests approval to revise an information collection (IC) entitled, ``Application for Certificate of Registration for Foreign Motor Carriers and Foreign Motor Private Carriers,'' that requires Mexico-domiciled for-hire and private motor carriers to file an application Form OP-2 if they wish to register to transport property only within municipalities in the United States on the U.S.-Mexico international borders or within the commercial zones of such municipalities. FMCSA invites public comment on the ICR.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt twenty-nine individuals from its rule prohibiting persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) from operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.