The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 113). Formerly a part of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. Activities of the Administration contribute to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through strong enforcement of safety regulations; targeting high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers; improving safety information systems and commercial motor vehicle technologies; strengthening commercial motor vehicle equipment and operating standards; and increasing safety awareness. To accomplish these activities, the Administration works with Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, labor and safety interest groups, and others.
We wrote at the start of September that it was anyone’s guess as to if the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) would extend the hours-of-service suspension for hauling in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. We now have our answer: yes, it is being extended.DetailsThe extension was announced on November 29th, just a few days […]
The news in the trucking industry has been so hectic this November, we simply could not keep ahead of it.Recently, rear impact trailer guardrails have been added as a requirement for annual FMCSA inspections.DetailsThe change is to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 396 section, which deals with all things inspection and maintenance. Failure to […]
Come November 8th, getting a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) will be ever so slightly cumbersome.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will require state driver’s licensing agencies to check the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, or upgrading a trucker’s CDL.The ProcessFew would argue against keeping drunk or otherwise intoxicated drivers off the road. […]
North Dakota is home to 39,300,000 acres of farmland and is responsible for over $4 billion in agricultural exports every year. Like most states west of the Mississippi River, the Peace Garden State is in desperate need of water. So much so that the state government is declaring a state of emergency to help keep […]
The confirmation hearing, taking place on September 22nd, is expected to result in a positive confirmation for Meera Joshi. Assuming she is confirmed, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will have its first official administrator since Ray Martinez two years ago. What does this mean for trucking? More of the Same Joshi has been […]
The interesting thing about news in contrast with government is that news moves fast while government moves slowly. In the past few days, more states have entered the fold of declaring a state of emergency due to Hurricane Ida, bringing the total number to seven. Details The first declarations were covered previously, so we will […]
The previous extension was set to expire at the end of August 31st. Now, only a few hours before it was set to expire, the FMCSA has extended it again. COVID-19 Emergency Details It is the same song and dance as the previous extensions; you can see all of the details on the webpage. In […]
We are about halfway through hurricane season, and we have another one. This time it is Hurricane Ida, and it is hitting states along the Gulf of Mexico. States and agencies are weighing in. Details Here are the various emergency declarations and what they entail. Southern and Western FMCSA Centers This is the most typical […]
It seems to be quite the season for natural disasters. As a result, the emergency declarations keep on coming. This time the declaration comes from Bill Lee, governor of Tennessee.DetailsThe flash flooding is most prominent in Tennessee City, where it weakens further away from the radius, but still covers Nashville and Waverly.The destruction has already […]
Governor Andrew Cuomo may be on his way out the door due to resigning amidst sexual harassment allegations, but that is not stopping Mother Nature from threatening havoc. By the time you read this, Tropical Storm Henri should have hit the New York shore. Experts have Henri pinned at a tropical storm of wind speeds […]
In a vote of 69-30 (with one senator absent), the United States Senate has voted to pass H.R. 3684, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 or the INVEST in America Act. What does the bill entail, and how are truckers affected should it pass the House of Representatives? H.R. 3684 […]
This article was published on Smokey Bear’s 67th birthday. Happy birthday to Smokey Bear! There is always something going on in the approximately 3.5 million square miles that comprise our nation. If it is not hurricane season, it is tornado season; if not tornado season, it is wildfire season. These are the states that are […]
It should not be a surprise to anyone that governments tend to be lazy, even with each other. Federal regulations call for states where drivers are convicted to transmit conviction data to the state where the driver is licensed either electronically via Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), or by mail, but not both. The […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) always planned for the off-site audits to become the norm. The coronavirus pandemic merely accelerated it. From 2017 to 2020, the number of off-site audits increased fifteenfold, and the number only appears to be increasing for 2021. Currently, these remote audits account for about 46% of all of […]
If you are an owner-operator or a fleet owner, chances are you have two dozen things on your mind at any given time, but to make sure you are in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration quickly, look up the last two digits of your USDOT number. If the last digit represented the […]
On Thursday July 8th, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, and Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hosted a roundtable to discuss trucking employment. Trucking Employment: Retention Versus Recruitment The “shortage” (the economic law of supply and demand impacting market rates and therefore carriers paying a premium […]
It should be no surprise to members in the trucking industry that whenever an “event” happens, regulators relieve some pressure to allow drivers to get their job done more quickly. In just the past eighteen months we have had hours-of-service exemptions for: Novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) nationwide. Wildfires along the western coast. Cold snap for states […]
Were you aware that each month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes data of violations entered into their Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse? With the program in motion for almost a year and a half, here are the most interesting bits of information. Clearinghouse Details To read the reports, including for months prior, go […]
Unless you have been living under a rock, you are no doubt aware of the hours-of-service exemption for hauling related to the pandemic that has permeated the trucking industry for about 15 months now. Less talked about but just as important is the other waiver for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), and […]
Another quarter, another announcement regarding the pandemic. The FMCSA has announced another extension to the hours-of-service (HOS) exemption for the hauling of goods related to the coronavirus state of emergency. Details The declaration can be read in its entirety via the FMCSA’s website. It follows the standard procedure for the exemption, with no modifications or […]
Notice: As of May 11th the FMCSA has added West Virginia to the list of affected states. Colonial Pipeline owns over 5,500 miles of pipe from Texas to New York. It was the victim of a malware attack starting on May 7th, 2021. In response, Colonial Pipeline has shut down its system, which transferred 100 […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is attempting to bring awareness to driving extra cautiously in work zones, especially in the time of the coronavirus pandemic where such injuries have been exacerbated.Cone ZoneAn average person may be inclined to believe that COVID-19 has reduced injuries on the road. The truth is that with fewer […]
In mid-April, Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Meera Joshi as the administrator to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Does this sound familiar? If the news sounds like a repeat from the beginning of the year, there is a slight change that makes this different than before. Technical Promotion Until now, Joshi […]
On March 10th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held its 20th annual Analysis, Research, and Technology (ART) Forum, and the first under the Biden presidency with a new change of officials. ART is used to discuss how technology is used to fulfill the FMCSA’s goals, namely minimizing truck crashes, and was especially fitting because […]
Listen to the article We wrote how we thought this state of emergency would not need an extension, and in twenty-eight cases we were right. However, some states were hit harder by the cold weather than others, and as such, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is expanding the state of emergency in these six […]
It was but five months ago that the FMCSA declared a regional emergency for the west coast states in response to rampant wildfires in that area. Now it is time for over 30 other states, plus Washington D.C., to receive additional support from the nation’s truckers due to a cold wave.Cold Snap Delivery DetailsThe state […]
If you have been following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) news for a while now, three names might ring as familiar: Raymond Martinez, Jim Mullen, and Wiley Deck. These three were the deputy administrators of the FMCSA during the Trump Administration, for varying amounts of time. With the transition to the Biden Administration, […]
While Elaine Chao has resigned from Secretary of the Department of Transportation by the time you read this article, one of her last acts was to order the DOT to create and publish what it calls the “Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan” (AVCP).It is no secret that self-driving trucks are still far away from becoming reality, […]
Secretary of the Department of Transportation Elaine Chao has announced that she will be resigning from her position, effective January 11th. This marks the end of the second-longest cabinet holding behind Mike Pence himself: Elaine Chao started January 31st, 2016. Details Elaine Chao cites the storming of the U.S. Capitol as her reason for not […]
The grace period for not being inside the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a database of drivers and such violations, is approaching its end rapidly, January 6th. If you drive under your own Authority, you must conduct a limited query for yourself and all drivers under your Authority by that date, or you may be […]
Unless your name is Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, there is a pretty good chance this was not your year. From a potential World War III in January, to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March and is still going today, to the summer protests and blocked highways, this year had it all. We want […]
Under the current system of rules, third-party companies such as private truck-driving schools could not be both the trainer and the examiner for a driver. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to publish a Final Rule in the Federal Register changing this. The new regulations will make it so that the trainer and […]
We wrote about what a Biden presidency would mean for the trucking industry in mid-November. In that article, our first point was that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Elaine Chao, would end her nearly four year term by being replaced. You have read the title of this article, so you know who […]
Remember in October when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) started allowing tanker trucks to use pulsating amber brake lights? It may be added to more truck types soon enough, as the FMCSA has granted Grote Industries LLC a limited 5-year exemption to allow motor carriers operating trailers and van body trucks to install […]
As the coronavirus vaccines are finalized and become ready for distribution, the question remains as to who gets the first round of doses. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an arm of the CDC, recently reached a nearly-unanimous vote on Monday approving a three step plan for vaccine distribution:Phase 1a: Healthcare workers and residents […]
While the winner of the 2020 election is not yet set in stone due to recounts, lawsuits, and accusations of fraud, it is hard to deny that the likelihood of becoming president has shifted into Biden’s favor. Strongly enough, in fact, that it is worth speculating what the shift in power would mean for the […]
Unless all the election news has pushed older information out of your brain, you may remember that the FMCSA spoke at an ATA virtual conference about many topics, one of which was working to make self-driving commercial vehicles as safe as possible. But beyond safety, there are many more uncertainties to autonomous trucks. Will they […]
It has been almost a year since the FMCSA instituted the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which means that the deadline for running a limited query for all fleets in the nation is rapidly approaching. Here are the details of the regulations and why you should have the query done for your fleet, whether it’s a […]
On October 28th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held another virtual conference, this time regarding broker regulations. In attendance were representatives from the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). As you can imagine, the TIA wants fewer regulations, and the OOIDA and SBTC […]
On October 23rd, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Wiley Deck spoke at the American Trucking Association’s (ATA) virtual version of its Management Conference and Exhibition. The event was turned into a virtual one this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here is what he spoke about. Under 21 Drivers With the trucking industry […]
When it comes to electric vehicles overall, even beyond electric heavy-duty trucks, two major problems impede mass production and adoption: range and refueling. We have written extensively about the first one, and automotive and tech companies work around the clock to increase the number of miles an electric truck gets on a single charge. The […]
You might remember how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) allowed a single company, Groendyke Transport, to add pulsating amber brake lights to the rear of their tanker trucks. You might also remember that rear-end collisions dropped over 33% for the tanker trucks equipped with them. Finally, you may recall that the FMCSA was […]
A week after the publishing of this article, October 2nd, marked the third annual “That’s a Big 10-4 on Washington D.C.” event. Normally the event lasts multiple days, but because of today’s landscape between the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest during an election year, the event was compacted into a single day.The DetailsMissed the event […]
If you have been following the news regarding the coronavirus pandemic, you may remember two things:The hours-of-service exemption was extended until the end of 2020.Other exemptions, such as the CDL renewal, CPL renewal, and medical certification renewal, were provided.On September 18th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) combined the two and made it so […]
In late April 2020, a tech company by the name of Pronto.ai petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, asking that its motor carrier customers get an additional two hours of driving each day thanks to the driving assistance their technology provides. You can probably tell from the title of this article where that petition […]
The United States government is a complicated system. In a short summary relating to truckers, the president appoints the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, who then manages the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is a tall building where it may feel as though the limit of trucker input is voting for the […]
On September 29th, truckers will breathe a sigh of relief as FMCSA hours-of-service regulations are loosened and allow more leeway to the driver. If you have been delivering for the many various State of Emergencies that have plagued 2020, you may have forgotten what the changes to the hours-of-service regulations entail. Here is a refresher […]
It seems as though every trucking industry change is taken to court at some time or another. This time, it is a change that most truckers are looking forward to: the changes in hours-of-service regulations. Intended to provide added flexibility to a trucker’s daily work, the hours-of-service changes are being challenged by safety groups arguing […]
Every month for a while now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been extending the State of Emergency by another month. The FMCSA has decided to take a more proactive approach, and as of September 11th the State of Emergency has been extended until the end of the year. The Details You can […]
Between COVID-19, hurricanes, and now wildfires, it seems the whole United States is in a constant state of emergency. There is little need to worry though, truckers have the means to get us through these hard times. Even more so because, like for the hurricanes before it and the coronavirus pandemic going on now, the […]
If you have been following trucking industry news before the coronavirus pandemic hit the forefront, you may remember that Congress debated the DRIVE Safe Act. Apparently that bill died in the halls of Congress, because truckers under the age of 21 still cannot haul freight via semi-truck across state lines. The FMCSA wants to give […]
In the early hours of Thursday, August 27th, Hurricane Laura hit the eastern Gulf Coast of the United States. It first hit land in Louisiana, eventually touching Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. A category 4 hurricane, Laura has winds reaching 150 MPH but not quite reaching the 156 MPH needed to be a category 5 like […]
It is a secret to absolutely nobody that there has been a pandemic for the past six months or so. The federal government, especially the White House, has been making efforts to reduce not only the health effects of COVID-19, but the secondary collateral effects on the economy as well. This scenario the world finds […]
The United States government operates as an agreement between 50 individual states, as well as the country as a whole, called the federal level. The states help the federal, and the federal helps the states, whenever assistance is needed. On Wednesday, August 19th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it would be […]
Three months ago, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requesting new regulations and/or increased enforcement of current ones. Now, the FMCSA is opening comments to the public allowing them to submit their thoughts. The Story So Far Current rules state that records of brokered transactions must be […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration state of emergency has been extended for another month. This is the fifth extension, set to last until September 14th, but may be extended yet again.Changes MadeYou can read the declaration in full on the FMCSA declaration’s webpage. In summary, the exemption for hours-of-service has been extended, with a […]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, normally having their International Roadcheck in June, scheduled it this year for May 5th to 7th. Later, it was postponed until further notice as a result of a certain worldwide pandemic. Now, the CVSA has decided that the pandemic has cooled down enough where having the event to improve safety […]
If you are a trucker that keeps track of anything related to regulations, you know about the FMCSA’s ELD Mandate. As of December 2019, all non-exempt trucks (exempt trucks including ones that tow other cars, among others) are required to have a compliant electronic logging device (ELD) to track various factors of driving data. The […]
Here is something we do not get to write about very often; TopMark Funding finances passenger vehicles as well as cargo vehicles.The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on July 15th that it is removing some old regulations in a cost-saving effort.“This rule will remove outdated and overly burdensome reporting requirements on commercial buses that don’t […]
Operation Safe Driver Week is now upon us. While law enforcement such as highway patrol and the DOT as a whole will be extra careful to track driving habits of commercial vehicles. Come the 20th of July, there is a chance we will all be back to normal levels of enforcement, as if the week […]
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week is soon upon us. Law enforcement officials are going to be extra wary of commercial vehicles on America’s roadways. To avoid a ticket, or worse, a license suspension, follow these rules to keep bears off your tail. An Ounce of Prevention The key to surviving […]
You might remember us writing about the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) delaying the International Roadcheck due to the coronavirus. The CVSA has decided to not let COVID-19 get in the way of its next event, however: Operation Safe Driver Week.Operation Safe Driver WeekThe CVSA describes the event as a time where “law enforcement agencies […]
On Tuesday, June 23rd, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief Jim Mullen said his agency is looking into potential violations regarding rate transparency among brokers. The statement comes from the FMCSA’s session at the Truckload Carrier’s Association’s Virtual Safety and Security Meeting. The event was moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic. The “Changes” We […]
President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13924,85 FR 31353 on May 19th, 2020. This directed federal agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to take action in fighting not just the coronavirus pandemic, but the economic damages resulting from the pandemic as well. The trucks are essentially the blood cells that […]
President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order No. 13924,85 FR 31353 on May 19th, 2020. This directed federal agencies, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to take action in fighting not just the coronavirus pandemic, but the economic damages resulting from the pandemic as well. One way the FMCSA took action was to suspend […]
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA), in a new step to combat the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy, is modifying a regulation regarding drugs. No, truckers will not be allowed to drive while smoking marijuana without being added to the Clearinghouse. The Change Normally when hiring a company driver, the company must perform […]
On March 13th, the Hours-of-Service suspension was to last until April 12th. It was then extended to May 15th, then June 15th, and now the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration extends it once again to July 14th. The Applicable Shipments Not all trucks on the road get the privilege of ignoring hours-of-service until the job […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been in the news a lot lately, and the news surrounding them only gets longer as time goes on. On May 19th, the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) filed a petition with the FMCSA to demand new regulations that improve broker transparency. The Problem Owner-Operators are starting […]
When the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) authorized Groendyke Transport to use pulsating amber brake lights next to the standard red ones on tanker trucks, they probably did not expect rear-end collisions to drop over 33%. That is exactly what happened, and now safety experts at the FMCSA are deliberating on making it the […]
It might be hard to remember with the coronavirus pandemic suspension (which was recently extended another month to mid-June) that the FMCSA has been planning reform to its hours-of-service regulations. Now the final rule has been published. Despite nobody outside of the FMCSA truly knowing what was going to be in it, it turned out […]
The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration has announced an extension to the hours-of-service suspension. It was first declared on March 13th and originally extended from April 12th to May 15th, and is being extended again to June 14th. The Applicable Shipments Not all trucks on the road get the privilege of ignoring hours-of-service until the […]
By The FMCSA Friday, May 1, 2020 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is assisting in the distribution of one million protective masks to the nation’s commercial truck drivers. FMCSA has been working with states, industry stakeholders, and motor carriers to distribute one million protective face masks for truckers which were provided by the […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Wednesday, April 8 extended its national emergency declaration to May 15. Originally enacted March 13, the declaration provides relief from hours of service regulations for drivers responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The original declaration was to expire Sunday, April 12. The agency said the extension also covers liquefied gases to […]
Recently the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced for the first time in history national suspension of certain Hours of Service regulations. This was in response to the coronavirus State of Emergency. This Wednesday on March 18th, the FMCSA has expanded the suspensions further. “Under Secretary Chao’s leadership, FMCSA is providing additional regulatory relief […]
Suspensions of Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are nothing new to the trucking industry, just recently there were two declared in Alabama and Tennessee. What is new is that the FMCSA has announced a nationwide suspension on HOS regulations in regards to commercial vehicle drivers hauling emergency relief across the entire country. The National Emergency […]
If you have been following trucker news for a while now, you almost certainly have heard that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has sent paperwork regarding changing Hours of Service regulations to the White House. We at TopMark Funding have been hesitant to write an article detailing this news, because here is the […]
In a move that had truckers across the nation rejoicing, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced on February 13th, 2020 that it would be lowering registration fees for motor carriers starting with registration year 2020 and continuing for the foreseeable future. Unified Carrier Registration Plan The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan is no […]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) works hard to use the power of technology to increase transportation industry safety nationwide, but sometimes their speed of implementation falls short of expectation. The implementation of this rule has been pushed back two years from February 7th, 2020 to 2022. What is the Entry-Level Driver Training Rule? […]
Just when you thought the FMCSA was done regulating, they toss on even more regulations. This time it’s with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The website is loaded with information on the new database, and you really should go there if you want to obtain a full understanding of the program. For those who […]
With changes in technology come changes in regulation. The trucking industry is no different. By December 2019, all non-exempt trucks must have an ELD certified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). In this article, we will talk about ELDs, their purpose, exemptions, and more important information. What is an ELD? An Electronic Logging […]
What do drivers need to think about their personal conveyance time? And how does ELD laws effect that time? Well, they’re being told not to overthink. Which is a good thing. Personal conveyance time is time that a driver is spent traveling to a location to rest, moving a truck during off-duty time if it’s […]
There’s a new federal rule out there that’s making waves in the commercial trucking industry. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, first proposed the rule in 2014. Even then, it was met with controversy. The law requires that anyone driving a commercial truck must use an electronic logging device, or an […]
