Whatever the political headlines of the day, federal agencies continue to add new trucking regulations, adopt new forms, and extend or discontinue previous waivers and exemptions. In this series, “Trucking Things to Know Now,” PrePass provides quick updates on regulatory developments, often with links to more information.
FMCSA Finalizes UCR Fee Decrease for 2024
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently published a final rule, lowering the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan fees for 2024 by approximately 9%.
UCR requires annual fees from interstate and international motor carriers, private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. UCR bases these fees on the number of trucks in a fleet, with the revenue going to support commercial vehicle law enforcement in participating states. The UCR final rule adopts the same fee reduction schedule reported earlier by PrePass.
Jurisdictions enforce UCR fee compliance at roadside and in weigh stations. UCR fees are due by Dec. 31 for the following year.
FMCSA Considers Proficiency Test for New Carriers
Interstate motor carriers just entering the business – so-called “new entrants” – are already subject to enhanced scrutiny by FMCSA. Now, FMCSA is considering the addition of a proficiency test in response to a congressional directive “to ensure applicants for new entrant authority are knowledgeable about applicable federal safety requirements before receiving operating authority.” FMCSA first raised the concept of a proficiency test in a 2009 advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) but took no action. Experts anticipate a supplemental ANPRM this August.
Third-Party CDL Testers Again Under Review
During the COVID-19 pandemic, FMCSA issued waivers to allow third-parties Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) skills instructors to also administer written knowledge tests without first completing the training required for state employees. FMCSA extended those waivers several times to help meet staffing shortages and facilitate the supply of new truck drivers. Congress liked that flexibility and called on FMCSA to make the waivers permanent unless there were safety issues.
FMCSA responded in a report, outlining agency concerns over fraud and fairness with a blanket waiver. Instead, many expect FMCSA to draft a rule setting out minimum standards and safeguards for states which choose allow knowledge testing by third parties.
Humans and Machines: Can We Get Along Safely?
Whether it is the broad scale legalization of completely autonomous trucks or the continued introduction of advanced truck technology, FMCSA wants to know how human drivers will interact with onboard technology. In an Information Collection Request (ICR) FMCSA seeks approval to evaluate the necessary training requirements to allow truck drivers to move from a Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)-equipped truck to a Level 3 ADAS truck. Level 2 ADAS means that a person remains fully responsible for awareness and driving at all times but receives input from onboard technologies. In a Level 3 ADAS truck, the machinery itself begins to assume control for operations. Level 3 is considered the entry level of automated driving systems (ADS) while Level 5 is fully autonomous.
FMCSA will seek approximately 100 truck drivers to participate in driving simulator studies, with 50 in Level 2 scenarios and 50 at Level 3. The study sessions will last four hours each. Comments on the ICR are due by July 24, 2023.
Read previous installments of “Trucking Things to Know Now: Federal Regulatory Updates.”
The PrePass blog and podcasts are published as a public service of PrePass®, the most reliable and technologically advanced weigh station bypass and integrated electronic trucking toll payment platform in North America. PrePass also includes INFORM™ Safety and INFORM™ Tolling software for improving truck safety scores and lowering toll costs.
