Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration August 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces it will hold a public listening session to solicit input on key challenges facing the motor carrier industry, issues facing stakeholders, and concerns that should be considered by the Agency in developing its next 5-year Strategic Plan. FMCSA invites interested persons to participate in this important opportunity to help build FMCSA's next strategic plan. This notice also invites written comments, suggestions, and recommendations from all individuals and organizations on FMCSA's mission, vision, and strategic objectives (goals) for the plan.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 39 individuals for exemption 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 CMVs in interstate commerce.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), FMCSA announces its plan to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) its request to revise a currently-approved information collection request (ICR) entitled ``Request for Revocation of Authority Granted'' covered by OMB Control Number 2126-0018. This ICR provides FMCSA information about a voluntary request by a motor carrier, freight forwarder, or property broker to amend or revoke its registration of authority granted. FMCSA will seek OMB's review and approval of this revised IC and invites public comment on this request.

FMCSA previously announced its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 60 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.

The FMCSA extends until June 30, 2011, the June 30, 2010, compliance date of its December 29, 2009, final rule concerning the inspection, repair, and maintenance of intermodal equipment (IME), specifically with respect to the requirement for drivers and motor carriers to prepare a driver-vehicle inspection report (DVIR) on an item of IME even if no damage, defects, or deficiencies are discovered by, or reported to, the driver. This action is being taken to provide

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 18 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 its decision to exempt twenty 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.

FMCSA announces elimination of the ``registrant-only'' USDOT number as part of the Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) program. FMCSA developed the concept of a ``registrant-only'' USDOT number to identify registered owners of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) that are not motor carriers, but lease their CMVs to entities that are motor carriers. FMCSA has concluded that registrant-only USDOT numbers are being used differently from what the Agency intended and thus the practice of issuing registrant-only numbers to entities that are not motor carriers is having an adverse affect on the Agency's ability to track motor carriers' safety violations. As a result, FMCSA made the decision to eliminate the PRISM procedure that requires non-motor carrier registrants to obtain USDOT numbers, and will maintain all existing numbers as dormant registrant- only USDOT numbers.

FMCSA announces its decision to continue in effect Volvo Trucks North America's (Volvo) exemption for five of its drivers to enable them to test-drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States without a commercial driver's license (CDL) issued by one of the States. FMCSA previously announced its decision to renew Volvo's exemption, pending a review of public comments. No comments were received.

FMCSA renews an exemption from the requirement to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) submitted by Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) on behalf of an employee. Volvo requested renewal of the CDL exemption for a Swedish engineer employed by the company to enable this individual to continue test-driving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States. This individual holds a valid Swedish CDL. FMCSA believes that the training program and knowledge and skills testing that drivers must undergo to obtain a Swedish CDL ensure a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be obtained by complying with the U.S. requirement for a CDL.