Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces planned improvements to the Carrier Safety Measurement System (SMS) which was implemented in December 2010 as part of the Agency's broader Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) initiative. A preview of these improvements will be available to motor carriers and law enforcement on March 27, 2012. The system changes are scheduled to be available to the public in July 2012. There will be additional opportunity for public comment on the changes after the preview period ends in July 2012. The improvements to SMS announced in this notice are based on ongoing analysis and feedback from enforcement personnel, the motor carrier industry, and other stakeholders. The changes more effectively identify and prioritize high-risk and other unsafe motor carriers for enforcement interventions designed to reduce commercial motor vehicle crashes and hazardous materials incidents. Starting on March 27, 2012, FMCSA will provide motor carriers with the ability to preview how the improvements impact their individual safety data in SMS. These improvements include: (1) Changes to the SMS methodology that identify higher risk carriers while addressing industry biases; (2) better applications of SMS results for Agency interventions by more accurately identifying safety sensitive carriers (i.e., carriers transporting people and carriers hauling hazardous materials (HM)), so that such firms can be selected for CSA interventions at more stringent levels; and, (3) more specific fact- based displays of SMS results on the SMS Web site. The data preview may be found at https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/. During the data preview period, the Agency requests comments on the impacts of the changes.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 15 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 corrects two notices published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2012, and June 14, 2010. In each instance, FMCSA announced in error that 22 named drivers being renewed for an exemption were employed by Rotel North American Tours, LLC. This notice corrects the error and provides the correct name of the employer for these drivers, Rotel Tours of Germany.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt nineteen 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 receipt of applications from nineteen 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.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from seventeen 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 requirement.

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. The FMCSA requests approval to revise an ICR entitled, ``Designation of Agents, Motor Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders (OMB Control Number 2126-0015),'' which is used to provide registered motor carriers, property brokers, and freight forwarders a means of meeting the Agency's process agent requirements. On November 29, 2011, FMCSA published a Federal Register notice allowing for a 60-day comment period on the ICR. The Agency did not receive any comments on the notice.