On January 15th the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a new rulemaking proposal aimed at updating its current safety rating methodology.
The proposed Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) rule would replace the current three-tier federal rating system that consists of ranks “satisfactory, conditional, and unsatisfactory” that has been in place since 1982. The new rule would move to a single determination of “unfit,” which would give the carrier two options: improve its operations or shut down.
The FMCSA believes that once the new rule is in place, it would allow them to properly assess about 75,000 companies per month. Today, the agency can only investigate 15,000 carriers per year. The new rule would greatly increase investigation and safety checks of carriers currently operating on the road today.
Some experts predict now that this new rule has cleared the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, it is likely that the DOT will implement new minimum training standards for new entrant truck drivers.
Those experts were correct. The new entry-level driver training rules “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” was released by the FMCSA on March 4th. While details of the new rule have not been released, the American Trucking Association (ATA) was pleased to see that the FMCSA has been working hard since 1991 to improve the strength of knowledge and skills of new drivers.
Just like any new proposed rule, the FMCSA will take comment from the trucking industry, stakeholders, and the general public for 60 days following the rule’s publication to the public.
Whether you support the new rules or not, it is important to realize that the trucking industry and lawmakers are trying to make our roads a safer place not just for drivers, but also for the general public. Stay tuned for more information coming on the new rules as we learn more in the coming weeks.