The Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which was sent to the OMB in May, is still on track to be published Aug. 29. The rule establishes a database of CDL holders who have failed or refused to take a drug test and requires carriers to report the failures and refusals to FMCSA. Owner-operators must also report to FMCSA the consortium or third-party drug test administrator it uses and authorize it to submit information on any of its drivers, including themselves, to the database. More on the Clearinghouse rule can be seen here.
Still stuck with the OMB after 14 months is a rule proposal to mandate speed limiters on Class 8 trucks. The projected publication date is this summer, according to the DOT’s report.
A joint rule between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the second phase of fuel efficiency and emissions standards no longer has a projected publication date listed. It previously was scheduled for Sept. 12. The rule was sent to the White House’s OMB June 3. The new standards will begin taking effect for trailers for model year 2018 units and 2021 for tractors. The plan goes through 2027, when the entire vehicle – engine, truck and trailer – will be required to meet certain standards.
A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that’s expected to be published next year will include MAP-21 enhancements and other updates to the Unified Registration System. Last month, the DOT projected the rule to be published March 22, 2017, but the latest report projects the rulemaking to be published June 22, 2017. The DOT says the rule proposes to implement several MAP-21 provisions that relate to the URS, as well as update and codify Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s procedures for granting, suspending and revoking registration. The DOT adds the procedures would apply to all entities required to register under FMCSA’s commercial or safety jurisdiction.
