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

FMCSA announces that William Cole, Safety Coordinator for the Montana Trucking Association, has requested an exemption from the entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations requirement that classroom or theory instructors for individuals seeking the hazardous materials (HM) endorsement have at least two years of driving experience of the same or higher class and/or the same endorsement level as the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for which training is to be provided. Mr. Cole believes his knowledge and experience concerning the HM safety regulations and the transportation of such materials on CMVs enable him to provide the theory training for individuals seeking an HM endorsement. FMCSA requests public comment on the applicant's request for an exemption.

FMCSA announces its decision to grant James D. Welch's application for an exemption on behalf of Air Reserve Technicians (ARTs) working under the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) from the requirement to obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). The Agency has considered the training these individuals must complete on the operation of the U.S. Air Force's CMVs and determined that the terms and conditions of the exemption will likely achieve an equivalent level of safety as would be achieved absent the exemption.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its intent to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests approval to renew an ICR titled, "Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Vendor Registration." This ICR is necessary for ELD vendors to register their ELDs with the Agency.

FMCSA requests public comment on Northern Clearing Inc.'s (Northern Clearing) application for an exemption from the hours-of- service (HOS) maximum driving time limits for drivers of property- carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMV). The requested exemption would allow Northern Clearing to provide continued restoration, clean up, and re-construction services in North Carolina, under the same conditions set out in the FMCSA Regional Emergency Declaration and Extension of Emergency Declarations Number 2024-008, which was in effect from October 4 through December 26, 2024.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 17 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for six 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.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 26 individuals for an exemption from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate commerce. If granted, the exemptions would enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals 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. FMCSA requests approval to renew an ICR titled, "Financial Responsibility Motor Carriers, Freight Forwarders, and Brokers." The purpose of this ICR is to provide registered motor carriers, property brokers, and freight forwarders a means of meeting financial responsibility filing requirements. This ICR sets forth the financial responsibility documentation requirements for motor carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers as a result of Agency jurisdictional statutes. On January 6, 2025, FMCSA published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register announcing its intention to submit this ICR to OMB for renewal. FMCSA received two comments in response to the published notice.

FMCSA announces its decision to deny Connell High School's (CHS) application for exemption from the commercial learner's permit (CLP) minimum 18-year age requirement. The applicant sought a 5-year exemption to allow students participating in the CHS Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Training Program to obtain a CLP at the age of 17. The program would span two semesters (one full school year) and provide 180 hours of classroom, field, and drive time training. FMCSA analyzed the application and determined there is insufficient information to conclude that the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to renew K & L Trucking, Inc.'s (K & L, USDOT #193158) application for a limited 5-year exemption to allow the company to secure large metal coils to its trailers using a cargo securement system that differs from that required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The Agency has determined that granting the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulation.

FMCSA requests public comment on an application from Yarde Metals, Inc. (Yarde Metals, USDOT No. 299202) for an exemption from the requirement that all exterior lighting devices be steady burning. The exemption would allow Yarde Metals to use an amber brake-activated pulsating lamp on its commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in addition to the steady-burning brake lamps required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to grant an application from Casey's Services Company, USDOT No. 162449, (Casey) for an exemption to allow it to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with a module manufactured by Intellistop, Inc. (Intellistop). The Intellistop module is designed to pulse the required rear clearance, identification, and brake lamps from a lower-level lighting intensity to a higher-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied and then return the lights to a steady-burning state while the brakes remain engaged. The Agency has determined that granting the exemption to Casey would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved by the regulation.

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. FMCSA requests approval to renew the ICR titled "Waiver and Exemption Requirements." The ICR estimates the burden applicants incur to comply with the reporting tasks required for requesting waivers and exemptions. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published December 6, 2024, and the comment period ended February 4, 2025. There were no comments received in response to the 60-day Federal Register notice.

FMCSA announces its final decision to renew the exemption granted to McKee Foods Transportation, LLC (MFT), USDOT #1025678, from the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations pertaining to the use of a sleeper berth. The exemption renewal allows MFT team drivers to take the equivalent of 10 consecutive hours off duty by splitting sleeper berth time into two periods totaling 10 hours, provided neither of the two periods is less than two hours. FMCSA has analyzed the exemption application and the public comments and has determined that the exemption, subject to the terms and conditions set forth below, is likely to achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level that would be achieved absent such exemption.

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

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 19 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.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 15 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.

FMCSA corrects its January 6, 2025, notice requesting comments for 19 individuals to renew exemptions from the Agency's 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. An individual's name was misspelled, and this notice corrects that error.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 25 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to provisionally renew for six months the exemption requested by R.J. Corman Railroad Services (R.J. Corman), Cranemasters, Inc. (Cranemasters), and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Inc. (NRC) from the prohibition against driving a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty and driving after accumulating 60 hours of on-duty time in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours of on-duty time in 8 consecutive days. The exemption renewal is applicable to employees of R.J. Corman and Cranemasters operating CMVs in response to unplanned events that occur outside of or extend beyond the subject employees' normal work hours. FMCSA requests public comment on the application for exemption renewal.

FMCSA reopens the comment period for its November 20, 2024, NPRM. FMCSA received a request for a reopening of the comment period from the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). The Agency finds it is appropriate to reopen the comment period to provide interested parties additional time to submit their responses to the NPRM. Therefore, the Agency reopens the comment period for 30 days.

FMCSA grants a limited 5-year exemption to the American Trucking Associations (ATA) on behalf of motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers (IEPs), and individuals, from the requirements that an individual must complete 1 year of training, experience, or a combination thereof prior to being qualified to conduct annual commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections and to conduct brake-related inspection, repair and maintenance tasks on CMVs. The exemption covers individuals who successfully complete a training program that is self- certified by the training provider as consistent with a set of recommended practices (RPs) developed by the ATA's Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) and motor carriers and IEPs who rely on these training programs and individuals to satisfy FMCSA's rules. The Agency has determined that granting the exemption from the requirements for 1 year of training, experience, or a combination thereof for individuals who successfully complete, and educators who provide, a performance- based inspector training program consistent with the TMC RPs, would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety provided by the regulatory requirements.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its final decision to grant a 5-year exemption to Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (Daimler) for six drivers who hold foreign commercial licenses from the requirement to hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) issued by a U.S. State when operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). This exemption will permit the six drivers to test-drive Daimler vehicles on U.S. roads to better understand product requirements in "real-world" environments and verify results. FMCSA reviewed the drivers' commercial license records provided by Daimler and believes the requirements for a German commercial license, the work restrictions imposed on Daimler drivers by their nonimmigrant visas, and the terms and conditions set forth below, will ensure that Daimler's operation under this exemption will likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level that would be achieved in the absence of the exemption.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from two individuals for an exemption from the prohibition in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) against operation of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) by persons with a current clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary insufficiency, thrombosis, or any other cardiovascular disease of a variety known to be accompanied by syncope (transient loss of consciousness), dyspnea (shortness of breath), collapse, or congestive heart failure. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals with ICDs to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for eight 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.