HOS notice of proposed rulemaking published

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published its hours-of-service (HOS) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on today’s Jan. 24 edition of the Federal Register [RIN-2126-AA90].

In the NPRM the agency has submitted the current rules as the proposal and “asks the public to comment on what changes to that rule, if any, are necessary to respond to the concerns raised by the court.”

For in-depth coverage on the NPRM, see HOS rulemaking underway.

The NPRM came in response to a July 2004 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that vacated the HOS rules for truckers, issued in 2003, which currently remain in effect.

The response period is relatively short, with all comments due by Mar. 10. Comments, which should be identified by “DOT DMS Docket Number FMCSA-2004-19608,” may be submitted by any of the following methods but FMCSA prefers the web site be used:

• Web site: http://dms.dot.gov
• Fax: 1-202-493-2251
• Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. DOT, 400 Seventh St. SW, Nassif Bldg., Rm PL-401, Washington DC 20590-0001
• Hand Delivery: Rm PL-401 on plaza level of Nassif Bldg, between 9 am and 5 pm Mon.-Fri.