Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration October 28, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FMCSA amends its December 27, 2011, final rule entitled ``Hours of Service of Drivers'' to provide an exception from the 30- minute rest break requirement for short-haul drivers who are not required to prepare records of duty status (RODS). The Agency also removes regulatory text made obsolete by the passing of the July 1, 2013, compliance date for the final rule. This action responds to a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (the Court).

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 24 individuals for exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various reasons. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the prescribed vision requirement in one eye. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to grant the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) an exemption from the minimum 30-minute rest break provision of the Agency's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemption enables SDDC's contract motor carriers and their employee-drivers engaged in the transportation of weapons, munitions, and sensitive/classified cargo to have the same regulatory flexibility that 49 CFR 395.1(q) provides for drivers transporting explosives. The exempted drivers are allowed to use 30 minutes or more of attendance time to meet the HOS rest break requirements, provided they do not perform any other work during the break.