Category: FMCSA

Safe parking one focus of $80 million in FMCSA grants

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Trucks line up at a Port of Los Angeles gate. (photo courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)

Washington — Improving truckers’ access to safe parking is one of the initiatives being funded by more than $80 million in high priority grants from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The grant program provides funding for activities and projects aimed at strengthening trucking safety by way of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, as well as innovative technology, research and other projects. State and local governments, Native American tribes, political jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education are among the groups eligible for funding.

The grant initiatives include a 65% increase in funding from last year for truck parking projects, as well as providing dynamic message signage – intended to help truck drivers locate open parking spaces in rest areas – along highways in Delaware, Indiana and Kentucky.

Other projects awarded grants include:

  • Research to support automated, location-based driver alerts via electronic logging devices that inform drivers of upcoming work zones
  • Enhancement of electronic screening technologies to detect vehicle violations, including automated license plate readers, U.S. Department of Transportation number readers, tire monitoring system, and hazardous material placard readers

“We depend on truck drivers every day, and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press release. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Winners of 2023 Road Safety Student Art Contest Announced by U.S. Department of Transportation

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Winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C

Washington, D.C. – Today, The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the winners of the 2023 Road Safety Student Art Contest. The annual event helps highlight the need for all roadway users to focus on safety.

“The colorful vision and imagination we saw in this year’s art pieces were remarkable,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson in congratulating the winners. “To translate an idea into a meaningful design is challenging, and we’re thrilled to display the final products.”

Each year, students ranging from kindergarten through high school are invited to enter the Road Safety Art Contest and use their artistic skills to raise awareness about how to stay safe on the road, particularly when driving, biking, or walking around large trucks and buses. This year’s Road Safety Student Art Contest received over 200 entries from students across the United States.

The winning artwork of the following 12 students will be displayed in the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C., as well as featured in the 2024 Road Safety Student Art calendar that will be available later this year.

Grades K-2 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Ewan Park, Texas
  • People’s Choice – Manaswin Radically, North Carolina
  • Honorable Mention – Mazherah Cohen, Florida

Grades 3-5 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Brandon Lee, California
  • People’s Choice– Natalie Ng, Texas
  • Honorable Mention– Noelle Cho, Illinois

Grades 6-8 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Austin Wong, California
  • People’s Choice – Noah Cho, Illinois
  • Honorable Mention – Michelle Jinx, New Jersey

Grade 9-12 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Sanjay Ravishankar, New Jersey
  • People’s Choice – Christie Bae, Virginia
  • Honorable Mention – Alex Yoon, Oklahoma

The contest is an initiative under FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety® partnership, which comprises more than 30 governmental, safety, industry, and private organizations. Through this effort, young artists remind all road users about the shared responsibility we all have to keep America’s roadways safe. With fatal crashes on the rise, increasing road safety awareness is a priority for DOT as part of its National Roadway Safety Strategy.

To learn more about the Road Safety Student Art Contest and see high-resolution versions of the winning entries, visit https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/OurRoadsArtContest.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Grants to Improve the Commercial Driver’s Licensing Process and Get More Safe Truck Drivers on the Road

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Historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps streamline CDL issuance and expand opportunities to Veterans and in underserved communities

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it will award approximately $48 million in grant funding to increase commercial driver’s license (CDL) driver training opportunities and continue to improve the process to obtain a CDL. This funding is aimed at improving the resiliency of our national supply chain and strengthening America’s trucking workforce. It is one of the many ways the Biden-Harris Administration is demonstrating its continued commitment to its Trucking Action Plan.

“Every day, we all count on food, clothing, medicine, and other goods that reach us thanks to America’s truck drivers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With these grants, we are helping states bring more well-trained drivers into this essential field, strengthening our supply chains for years to come.”

FMCSA is awarding more than $44 million to states and other entities to operate national CDL programs through the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) grant. This will help states expedite CDL issuance and renewals and ensure states electronically exchange conviction and disqualification data. (Note: This data pertains primarily to motor vehicle traffic control-related convictions and other convictions and disqualifications outlined in 49 CFR 383.51 not all conviction data). It will also implement regulatory safety requirements supporting the National Roadway Safety Strategy and develop human trafficking outreach and education materials for CDL drivers. Examples of projects funded include hiring state personnel to reduce CDL skills testing delays, improving CDL reporting, maintaining accurate driver records, and training CDL skills test examiners.

Thanks to the more than $3 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant (CMVOST) recipients will also increase their capacity to train veterans and their family members, individuals from underserved and refugee communities, and other Americans to safely operate CMVs, obtain their CDLs, and enter the truck and bus driving profession.

“This essential funding provided through the CMVOST grant program will help expand and diversify the pool of trained drivers, with an important focus on attracting Veterans and individuals from underserved and refugee communities,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “We’re proud that these grants are giving priority to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard, Reservists, and their family members, to pursue a commercial driver’s license.”

Read more about FMCSA’s grants and financial assistance.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

FMCSA Removes Two Devices from List of Registered Electronic Devices

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FALCON ELD

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has removed FALCON ELD and KSK ELD from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). FMCSA has placed these ELDs on the Revoked Devices list due to the providers’ failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A, effective September 14, 2023.

FMCSA will send an industry email to inform motor carriers that all who use these revoked ELDs must take the following steps:

  1. Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.
  2. Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices list before November 13, 2023.

Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs. If the ELD providers correct all identified deficiencies, FMCSA will place the ELDs back on the list of registered devices and inform the industry and the field.

KSK ELD

During this time, safety officials are encouraged not to cite drivers using the revoked ELDs for 395.8(a)(1) – “No record of duty status” or 395.22(a) – “Failing to use a registered ELD.” During this time, safety officials should request the driver’s paper logs, logging software, or use the ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours of service data.

Beginning November 13, 2023, motor carriers who continue to use the revoked devices listed above will be considered to be operating without an ELD. Safety officials who encounter a driver using a revoked device on or after November 13, 2023 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and place the driver out-of-service (OOS) in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) OOS Criteria.

FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed in time.

For more information on ELDs, visit FMCSA’s ELD implementation website.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $80 Million in Grants to Improve Highway Safety, Including Better Access to Truck Parking

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced more than $80 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This historic funding will help reduce the frequency and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes on our nation’s roadways and support truck drivers by expanding access to truck parking, investing in critical technology, improving safety in work zones, rural areas and high crash corridors, and more. Grant recipients include states, local governments, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions across the country.

The High Priority grants include a 65% increase in funding for truck parking projects over last year and enhance critical efforts to support truck drivers and improve safety such as:

  • Expand access to truck parking by helping truck drivers locate available rest area truck parking spaces in real time via dynamic message signs along highways in Kentucky, Delaware, and Indiana.
  • Research to support automated, location-based driver alerts via electronic logging devices that inform drivers of upcoming work zones — improving safety for both the drivers and the workers.
  • Enhancement of electronic screening technologies to detect vehicle violations (such as automated license plate readers, USDOT number readers, tire monitoring system, and hazardous materials placard readers).
  • Outreach and education to combat human trafficking, an effort in which truck drivers can play a key role given their time and attention on the road.

“We depend on truck drivers every day, and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.”

“President Biden’s historic investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps improve commercial motor vehicle safety on our roadways both at the national and local levels,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “Our grantees will dedicate these investments to innovative technology, research, and other projects that will positively impact CMV safety and move us towards the National Roadway Safety Strategy’s goal of zero deaths on our nation’s roadways.”

This builds on the Biden-Administration’s continued investment in truck parking and safety on our nation’s roadways, which includes over $80 million invested in new truck parking spaces across the country.

  • Caldwell County, Texas: $22.9 million RAISE grant to design and construct a truck parking plaza that improves safety and convenience for truck drivers. Plaza will include short- and long-term spaces with lighting, fencing, restroom and shower facilities, with 24-hour monitored security.
  • Caldwell Parish, Louisiana: $10.5 million RAISE grant to buy land and build a Truck Parking facility near the port and a highway for 50 commercial trucks, 100 cars, and EV charging stations that are designed to provide auxiliary power units to power a truck cab’s heating and cooling, without having to run the engine while also recharging trucks. There will also be a system to find parking spaces in real-time.
  • On I-4 Between Tampa and Orlando: $15 million INFRA grant for a new truck parking facility with approximately 120 spaces, electric charging stations, and pedestrian infrastructure to access nearby commercial amenities.
  • Near Memphis, Tennessee: $22 million INFRA grant adds 125 truck parking spaces at a spot along I-40—a critical freight corridor. Project will also upgrade adjacent bridge structures.

All HP grant applications undergo a series of reviews before award selection. Please visit FMCSA’s grant program page for additional information on the discretionary application announcement, review, and approval process.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

FMCSA considering revisions to safety fitness determinations

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Photo Missouri DOT

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking for input on a possible new methodology for determining whether motor carriers are fit to operate safely.

The agency’s safety fitness determination process uses existing motor carrier data and data collected during compliance reviews to form a three-tiered rating system of satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory. In a notice published Aug. 29, the agency asks for stakeholder feedback on potential revisions to the process.

“The intended effect of this action is to more effectively use FMCSA data and resources to identify unfit motor carriers and to remove them from the nation’s roadways,” the notice states. “A successful SFD methodology may target metrics that are most directly connected to safety outcomes, provide for accurate identification of unsafe motor carriers and incentivize the adoption of safety-improving practices.”

FMCSA is seeking input on:

  • The need for a rulemaking to revise the regulations prescribing the safety fitness determination process.
  • Available science or technical information to analyze regulatory alternatives for determining the safety fitness of motor carriers.
  • Current agency safety fitness determination regulations, including feedback on the process and impacts.
  • Available data and costs for regulatory alternatives reasonably likely to be considered.

Additionally, the agency requests input on 12 specific questions related to safety fitness determinations, including whether to retain the three-tiered rating system.

FMCSA notes in the notice that its safety fitness determination system “is resource-intensive and reaches only a small percentage of motor carriers.” In fiscal year 2019, the agency and state partners conducted fewer than 12,000 compliance reviews among a population of more than 567,000 interstate motor carriers.

Comments are due Oct. 30.

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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

FMCSA to study impact of detention time on trucker safety

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Trucks line up at a Port of Los Angeles gate. (photo courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles)

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants to study the safety impact of the time that truck drivers spend waiting for cargo to be loaded and unloaded.

That lag, often in excess of two hours, is known as “detention time.” In an Information Collection Request published Aug. 24, FMCSA states that “drivers who experience less detention time may be more likely to drive safely to reach their destinations within the [federal hours-of-service] limits and less likely to operate beyond HOS limits and improperly log their driving and duty time to make deliveries on time.”

The agency intends to collect data on driver detention time from about 80 motor carriers and 2,500 drivers – “representative of the major segments” of the trucking industry. FMCSA will then analyze that data to determine the frequency and severity of detention time and assess the “utility of existing intelligent transportation systems solutions” to measure detention time. A 2014 FMCSA study of detention time had “several limitations,” the notice states, including:

  • A small sample of mostly large carriers
  • A rudimentary estimation of detention time
  • An inability to identify time spent loading/unloading
  • Data that didn’t cover an entire 12-month period

“FMCSA needs additional data from a broader sample of carriers to understand the safety and operational impact of detention time, to better understand why detention time occurs, and to identify potential mitigation strategies the commercial motor vehicle industry may use to reduce detention time while improving operational efficiencies and safety,” the notice states.

Comments are due Oct. 23.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

FMCSA launches Training Provider Registry for entry-level drivers

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Photo: FMCSA

Washington — A group of House Republicans is moving to repeal a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration final rule that stipulates minimum training requirements for entry-level truck drivers.

Reintroduced on July 19 by Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), the Trucking Workforce Improvement Act (H.R. 4738) would rescind the rule, which sets minimum training standards for first-time applicants for Class A or B commercial driver’s licenses or those seeking a CDL upgrade to Class A or B. The bill has 14 co-sponsors.

The rule further establishes standards for drivers aiming to obtain hazardous materials, passenger or school bus endorsements for the first time. Affected entry-level drivers must complete training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry before taking a CDL skills test.

In a press release, Good calls the rule “regulatory overreach” and cites as impetus for the bill a perceived driver shortage that has long lingered as an industry debate.

“My bill will remove obstacles to entry for aspiring truck drivers, enable more opportunities for well-paid jobs and unleash the American economy,” he said.

The final rule was initially published in December 2016, with an effective date of Feb. 7, 2020. That date was later pushed back to February 2022.

Jack Van Steenburg, executive director and chief safety officer at FMCSA, suggested the shortage was a myth while speaking about the rule when it went into effect.

“With an increasing number of people applying for CDLs over the past year, there has never been a more important time to implement minimum uniform training standards that ensure new drivers have both the knowledge and skills to operate safely,” he said in a press release. “The ELDT regulations were developed with input from driver and training organizations, motor carriers, state licensing agencies, safety advocacy groups, and insurance companies.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

House committee advances bill that includes a block on speed limiters

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orange-semi
Photo: Missouri Department of Transportation Flickr

Washington — The House Appropriations Committee has approved legislation that would prohibit funding for a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposal to require the installation of speed-limiting devices on heavy trucks.

Approved during a July 18 committee markup, the appropriations bill proposes a budget of $891.3 million for FMCSA in fiscal year 2024, which begins Oct. 1. However, the legislation includes a provision that zero funding may be used “to promulgate any rule or regulation” mandating the installation of speed limiters on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

In May 2022, FMCSA introduced a proposed rule to that end, expanding on a 2016 joint proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA. The latter is the sole agency listed on the proposed rule, which doesn’t suggest a top speed. The 2016 proposal specified capping speeds at 60, 65 or 68 mph.

FMCSA has received nearly 16,000 comments on its updated proposal, which includes multiple stakeholder prompts, including:

  • What percentage of the commercial motor vehicle fleet uses speed-limiting devices?
  • If in use, at what maximum speed are the devices generally set?
  • What training or skill sets are needed for motor carriers’ maintenance personnel to adjust or program electronic engine control units to set speed limits?

The bill now advances to the House floor.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

FMCSA Removes Four Devices from List of Registered ELDs

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Photo: FMCSA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has removed ALL TRUCKERS ELD, GOLDEN ELD, PRIMELD, and SECURE ELD devices from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). FMCSA has placed these ELDs on the Revoked Devices list due to the companies’ failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A, effective July 25, 2023.

FMCSA will send an industry email to let motor carriers know that all who use these revoked ELDs must take the following steps:

  1. Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.
  2. Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices list before September 23, 2023.

Motor carriers have up to 60 days to replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs. If the ELD providers correct all identified deficiencies, FMCSA will place the ELDs back on the list of registered devices and inform the industry and the field.

During this time, safety officials are encouraged not to cite drivers using these revoked ELDs for 395.8(a)(1) – “No record of duty status” or 395.22(a) – “Failing to use a registered ELD.”
During this time, safety officials should request the driver’s paper logs, logging software, or use the ELD display as a back-up method to review the hours of service data.

Beginning September 23, 2023, motor carriers who continue to use the revoked devices listed above would be considered to be operating without an ELD. Safety officials who encounter a driver using a revoked device on or after September 23, 2023 should cite 395.8(a)(1), and place the driver out-of-service (OOS) in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance OOS Criteria.

FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that the deficiencies are not addressed in time.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA