19DecIs that “dispatch service” helping a motor carrier secure new business operating as a “bona fide agent” of the carrier or is it a “broker”? An important distinction when the latter comes with the required broker authority and a $75,000 bond or trust fund. In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
16DecIn the U.S. Department of Transportation Significant Rulemakings Report released in September 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed important rulemakings for commercial motor vehicles. NHTSA also included a whole raft of significant rulemakings affecting the manufacturing standards for new passenger vehicles. Well, you might say, “at least there
14DecThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is exploring a device that would allow roadside enforcement to electronically identify and perhaps monitor the condition of drivers and commercial motor vehicles on the highway. But it is also raising a lot of questions. The federal truck regulator is considering requiring interstate CMVs
12DecThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has jurisdiction over the manufacturing standards for all new vehicles – cars, trucks, buses, and trailers. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) tells motor carriers how they must operate and maintain today’s vehicles, NHTSA rulemakings tell manufacturers how to equip those
8DecThe FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is approaching its three-year anniversary. That means new rules are coming on Jan. 6, 2023. Motor carriers must conduct background investigations before hiring a driver. The process includes checking for drug and alcohol violations within the past three years. When the Federal Motor Carrier
1DecEach spring and fall, the federal government publishes its Unified Regulatory Agenda listing the status of current and intended rulemaking activities for federal agencies. While the Fall 2022 edition of the Unified Regulatory Agenda has yet to make an appearance, the U. S. Department of Transportation just released its Significant
28NovUnder federal law, a longer combination vehicle (LCV) is any combination of a truck-tractor and two or more semi-trailers or trailers operating on the Interstate Highways at a gross vehicle weight greater than 80,000 pounds. LCVs only operate under special permit on designated highways in several states and on certain
18NovThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering a plan that would require all trucks in interstate commerce to be equipped with devices that electronically transmit the identity of trucks to law enforcement. However, the proposal has raised several questions, including privacy concerns, and how this information would be used.
10NovState driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) have the task of implementing federal regulations on truck driver testing and licensing. Those requirements have increased recently with the establishment by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) of an entry-level driver training (ELDT) program intended to standardize and enhance the training regimen for
7NovThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking to gather information on the regulations surrounding the lease and interchange of vehicles, according to a notice in the Federal Register. FMCSA seeks approval through an Information Collection Request (ICR), to continue requiring motor carriers who lease or interchange equipment with others
3NovIn February of this year, leaders from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) wrote a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, urging the USDOT to prioritize truck parking in its work with states and localities. A particular focus was on the
26OctIt’s become a caricature of today’s society – the human automatons, adorned with earbuds, eyes glued to cell phones. It has generated cartoons – the family at the dinner table, texting “pass the salt.” Technology has enveloped our life. For all its benefits – information, entertainment, automation – technology has,
