Speaking at the annual conference of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recently, FMCSA assistant administrator John H. Hill provided an update on the status of upcoming rulemakings and other agency initiatives.
The following actions are expected:
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A rulemaking for electronic onboard recorders later this year.
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A revised rule for new entrants later this year.
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An NPRM to address the need to track carriers that avoid bad safety records by shutting down and re-opening under a new name.
Hill also made a pledge to cut the large-truck fatality rate 16% by 2008, to 1.65 per 100-million miles traveled.
“There's been a large focus on getting vehicles inspected by carriers as well as on the roadside,” Hill told Fleet Owner. “The next big step is to focus on the driver,” he added. “[We need] new information systems that target problem drivers, and rulemakings so we can guide drivers how to do things differently.”
According to Hill, we can also expect new federal initiatives to reduce highway congestion and stop-and-go traffic.
