Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration October 3, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to grant the U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. (USCHI) an exemption from the ``K'' intrastate restriction on commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) held by custom harvester drivers operating in interstate commerce. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) exempt drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) controlled and operated by a person engaged in interstate custom harvesting, including the requirement that drivers be at least 21 years old. However, many younger custom harvester drivers hold CDLs with an intrastate-only (or ``K'') restriction. This has caused drivers of USCHI member companies to be cited during roadside inspections in a different State, as the ``K'' restriction means that the license is invalid outside the State of issuance, even when the younger driver is operating under the custom harvester exemption. FMCSA has analyzed the exemption application and the public comments and has determined that the exemption, subject to the terms and conditions imposed, will achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.