The proposed amendments are for various provisions in the “Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation,” and the “Inspection, Repair and Maintenance” parts of the FMCSRs. The amendments come after the agency received several petitions for rulemaking from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the American Trucking Associations, along with two safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The amendments “generally do not involve the establishment of new or more stringent requirements, but instead clarify existing requirements to increase consistency of enforcement activities,” according to the notice of proposed rulemaking.
The proposed amendments that are more likely to affect drivers and carriers include:
Other proposed amendments mainly just clarify the regulations for enforcement officials for use during inspections. These include:
FMCSA said it believes the “potential economic impact of these changes is negligible.”
FMCSA is seeking public comment on the proposed amendments to regulations. To comment, search Docket No. FMCSA-2015-0176 at www.regulations.gov, or click here. The comment period is open through Dec. 7.
