Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration June 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 17 individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have ``no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV.'' The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti- seizure medication to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

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. This notice invites comments on a proposed information collection titled Human Factors Considerations in Commercial Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. It is a driving simulator study with a series of questionnaires that will evaluate how commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers engage in CMVs equipped with SAE International Level 2 (L2) advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and Level 3 (L3) automated driving systems (ADS). Approximately 100 CMV drivers will participate in the study. The study will examine the effect of non-driving secondary task engagement, transfer of control, and training on driver behavior in CMVs equipped with ADAS and ADS.

The FMCSA announces its decision to grant Daimler Coaches North America, LLC's (Daimler Coaches) application for a limited five- year exemption to allow its driver assistance camera technology (DACT) device to extend beyond the current mounting location limits in the lower area of the windshield on Tourrider commercial motorcoaches. The Agency has determined that higher placement of Daimler Coaches' DACT device would not have an adverse impact on safety and that adherence to the terms and conditions of the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety provided by the regulation.

FMCSA amends the regulations for the annual registration fees States collect from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement for the 2024 registration year and subsequent registration years. The fees for the 2024 registration year are approximately 9 percent less than the fees for the 2023 registration year, with varying reductions between $4 and $3,453 per entity, depending on the applicable fee bracket.

This notice announces a meeting of the TLTF.

On March 3, 2020, the Department announced the availability of a regulatory guidance portal to provide public access to the Department's guidance documents. This notice clarifies the reissuance date of FMCSA guidance published in FMCSA's guidance portal (``Guidance Portal'' or ``Portal'') as of March 3, 2020. This notice also clarifies the reissuance dates for guidance posted between March 4 and June 27, 2020, during the ``grace period.''

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 15 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for three individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have ``no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV.'' The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

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 its review and approval and invites public comment. This notice invites comments on a proposed information collection titled ``Safety Impacts of Human-Automated Driving System (ADS) Team Driving Applications.'' It is a driving simulator study with a series of questionnaires that will quantify the safety implications of team driving applications between humans and ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Specifically, this study will focus on team driving applications with an SAE Level 4 (L4) CMV. In L4 automation, as specified by SAE (2021), CMVs are capable of all functions and controls necessary for driving without human monitoring in limited conditions, and the human driver will not be asked to take over control of the vehicle. The L4 CMV will not operate outside of the conditions it was designed for without human control. Approximately 80 CMV drivers will participate in the study. The study will assess the safety benefits and disbenefits of human-ADS team driving applications and support the analysis of potential requests for relief from FMCSA's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.