Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration November 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to grant an exemption to allow commercial motor vehicle operators to use trailer-mounted electric brake controllers which monitor and actuate electric trailer brakes based on inertial forces developed in response to the braking action of the towing vehicle. FMCSA believes that the use of trailer-mounted electric brake controllers will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption.

FMCSA announces and requests public comment on data and information concerning the Pre-Authorization Safety Audits (PASAs) for motor carriers that have applied to participate in the Agency's long- haul pilot program to test and demonstrate the ability of Mexico- domiciled motor carriers to operate safely in the United States beyond the municipalities in the United States on the United States-Mexico international border or the commercial zones of such municipalities. This action is required by the ``U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007'' and all subsequent appropriations.

FMCSA announces that MCSAC will hold a meeting on Monday- Thursday, December 5-8, 2011, which will include a joint meeting on Wednesday, December 7, 2011, with the MRB. All four days of the meeting will be open to the public for their duration.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to grant an exemption to enable Con-way Freight (Con-way), TK Holdings, Inc. (Takata), and Iteris, Inc. (Iteris) to mount lane departure warning system sensors lower in the windshield of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) than is currently permitted by the Agency's regulations. The lane departure warning system alerts drivers who unintentionally drift out of their lane of travel, thus promoting improved safety performance.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt sixteen 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.

The FMCSA amends its regulations to keep in effect until January 30, 2014, the requirement that interstate drivers subject to the commercial driver's license (CDL) regulations and the Federal physical qualification requirements must retain paper copies of their medical examiner's certificate. Interstate motor carriers are also required to retain copies of their drivers' medical certificates in their driver qualification files. This action is being taken to ensure the medical qualification of CDL holders until all States are able to post the medical self-certification and medical examiner's certificate data on the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) driver record. This rule does not, however, extend the compliance dates for States to collect and to post to the CDLIS driver record data from a CDL holder's medical self-certification and medical examiner's certificate.

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 renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 20 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-two 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.