FMCSA Announces Meeting and Other Plans on New Hours of Service Regulations

The FMCSA has announced that its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) will hold a committee meeting via conference call on December 7, 2009. The conference call is open to the public, and the FMCSA is seeking participation by “safety advocacy groups, State safety agencies, motor carriers, motor carrier associations, owner-operators, drivers, and labor unions.”

The MCSAC will be requested to provide advice and recommendations on the hours of service requirements for drivers of property-carrying vehicles following the FMCSA settlement agreement with the group Public Citizen and others. That agreement requires the FMCSA to submit a Proposed Rule within 9 months, and publish a Final Rule within 21 months, after the October 26, 2009 settlement date. The FMCSA said other steps will include public listening sessions across the country and the opportunity for public comment on the forthcoming proposed rule.

The deadline for written comments on this topic is December 3, 2009. For more information, see Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee Public Meeting, 74 Fed. Reg. 62882 (Dec. 1, 2009).