Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration April 23, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Transportation and motor carriers have invested millions of dollars in research, development, and implementation of strategies and technologies to reduce truck and bus crashes. FMCSA is evaluating the impacts of considering a company's proactive voluntary implementation of state-of-the-art best practices and technologies when evaluating the carrier's safety. FMCSA requests responses to specific questions and any supporting data the Agency should consider in the potential development of a Beyond Compliance program. Beyond Compliance would include voluntary programs implemented by motor carriers that exceed regulatory requirements, and improve the safety of commercial motor vehicles and drivers operating on the Nations' roadways by reducing the number and severity of crashes. Beyond Compliance would not result in regulatory relief.

FMCSA announces its decision to grant requests from 10 individuals for exemptions from the Agency's physical qualifications standard concerning hearing for interstate drivers. The current regulation prohibits hearing impaired individuals from operating CMVs in interstate commerce. After notice and opportunity for public comment, the Agency concluded that granting exemptions for these drivers to operate property-carrying CMVs will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions. The exemptions are valid for a 2- year period and may be renewed, and the exemptions preempt State laws and regulations.

FMCSA announces its decision to grant requests from 4 individuals for exemptions from the Agency's physical qualifications standard concerning hearing for interstate drivers. The current regulation prohibits hearing impaired individuals from operating CMVs in interstate commerce. After notice and opportunity for public comment, the Agency concluded that granting exemptions for these drivers to operate property-carrying CMVs will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions. The exemptions are valid for a 2- year period and may be renewed, and the exemptions preempt State laws and regulations.

FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require certified medical examiners (MEs) performing physical examinations of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to use a newly developed Medical Examination Report (MER) Form, MCSA-5875, in place of the current MER Form and to use Form MCSA-5876 for the Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC); and report results of all CMV drivers' physical examinations performed (including the results of examinations where the driver was found not to be qualified) to FMCSA by midnight (local time) of the next calendar day following the examination. The reporting of results includes all CMV drivers who are required to be medically certified to operate in interstate commerce, not only those who hold or apply for commercial learner's permits (CLP) or commercial driver's licenses (CDL), and results of any examinations performed in accordance with the FMCSRs with any applicable State variances (which will be valid for intrastate operations only). For holders of CLP/CDLs (interstate and intrastate), FMCSA will electronically transmit driver identification, examination results, and restriction information from examinations performed from the National Registry to the State Driver's Licensing Agencies (SDLAs). The Agency will also transmit medical variance information for all CMV drivers electronically to the SDLAs.