SAFETEALU: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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SAFETEA-LU Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration

• Michael S. Griffith
• Director, Office of Research and Analysis
• June 15th, 2006

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FMCSAs Mission

• FMCSAs primary mission is to reduce crashes,
  injuries, and fatalities involving trucks buses

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Who are we?

• Operating Agency within the U.S. Department of
  Transportation
• Established on January 1, 2000
• 90 offices - at least one in each state
• 1,100 employees
• 265 in HQ
• 835 in Field
• 335 Investigators
• 80 Auditors
• 160 Border Inspectors

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Commercial Motor VehicleIndustry Profile

• gt 685,000 interstate and foreign-based truck and
  bus companies
• 8 million large trucks
• 40,000 motorcoaches
• 6.5 million CMV drivers (3.1 million CDL 3.4
  million non-CDL)

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2006 Rulemakings

• Hours of Service (HOS) Supporting Documents
• Cargo Securement
• Merger of Medical Certification and CDL Issuance
  and Renewal Processes
• Electronic On-Board Recorders
• Entry-Level Driver Training

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SAFETEA-LU Rulemakings Published

• CDL School Bus Endorsement
• (Final Rule)(1/18/06)
• Diabetes Standard (ANPRM) (3/17/06)

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Background

• SAFETEA-LU marks the first surface transportation
  reauthorization bill that covers FMCSA.
• Establishes a strong legislative base for the
  future direction of motor carrier safety
  programs.

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Grants to the States
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Grant Overview

• 11 Grant Programs 282M
• MCSAP 188M
• Basic
• Incentive
• High Priority - 10M
• New Entrant - 29M
• Border Enforcement - 32M
• CDL - 25M
• CVISN - 25M
• PRISM - 5M
• CDLIS Modernization 5M
• Safety Data Improvement Program (SaDIP) 2M
• CMV Operators 1M

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Border Enforcement Grants

• Purpose
• Carry out Border CMV Safety Programs and
• Related Enforcement Activities.
• Recipients
• States that share a land border with another
  country
• Entities

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Border Enforcement Grants

• FACTS
• 32 Million Annually
• 100 Percent Federal Share
• Maintenance of Effort Required.

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Border Grant History

• Began in 1995.
• MCSAP Funding
• 2004 - Funded Outside MCSAP
• SAFETEA-LU Authorized the Program from 2006-2009.

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Border Enforcement Grants

• What Border Enforcement Grants Buy
• CMV Inspections.
• Hiring, training and equipping personnel
• Education and outreach to foreign motor carriers
• Communications and information exchange
  enhancements and
• Activities related to opening of the southern
  border.

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The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program
(MCSAP)

• Basic Grants - Formula
• Incentive Grants - Formula
• High Priority Grants - Discretionary
• New Entrant Grants Discretionary
• Administrative Takedown

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Basic/Incentive Grants

• Purpose Basic Grants
• To Provide States the resources to allow them to
  assist FMCSA in improving the Safety of
  Commercial Motor Vehicles Operating in the United
  States.
• Purpose Incentive Grants
• To Provide Additional CMV safety resources to
  States meeting specific performance Criteria.

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Basic/Incentive Grants

• Recipients
• States
• Facts
• 137 Million in Basic Grants in 06
• 10 in Incentive Grants in 06
• 80 Percent Federal Share

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Basic/Incentive Grants

• What MCSAP Basic/Incentive Grants Buy
• Roadside Inspections
• CMV Traffic Enforcement
• Carrier Compliance Reviews
• Public/Industry Outreach and Training
• Data Collection

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High Priority Grants

• Purpose
• To Carry out high priority activities and
  projects that improve CMV safety and compliance
  with CMV safety regulations (including activities
  and projects that are national in scope),
• Increase public awareness and education,
• Demonstrate new technologies, and
• Reduce the number and rate of accidents
  involving CMVs.

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High Priority Grants

• Recipients
• States
• Local Governments
• Organizations Representing States
• Facts
• Up to 15 Million Annually
• 8 Million set aside in FY2006
• Can be 80 or 100 Percent Federal Funding

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High Priority Grants

• What MCSAP High Priority Grants Buy
• Demonstration Projects
• Data Improvement
• Supplemental Roadside or Traffic Enforcement
• Support Equipment

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New Entrant Grants

• Purpose
• To Provide States the resources to carryout New
  Entrant Grants.
• Recipients
• States
• Facts
• 29 Million annually
• 100 Percent Federal Funds
• Can be Used for Federal Purposes if States cant
  use.

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New Entrant Grants

• What MCSAP New Entrant Grants Buy
• State Conducted New Entrant Audits
• Contractor Conducted New Entrant Audits
• Contract Support

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SAFETEA-LU Strengthens FMCSAs Enforcement
Authority
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Enforcement

• Sec. 4102 Increases penalties for recordkeeping
  and reporting violations, and violations of OOS
  orders.
• Provides civil and criminal penalties for
  employers convicted of allowing or requiring
  violations of OOS orders.

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Enforcement (Continued)

• Sec. 4103 Authorizes civil penalties for motor
  carriers that refuse to allow FMCSA to inspect
  and copy records or examine equipment.
• Sec. 4104 Authorizes the agency to suspend
  operating authority for carriers that fail to
  meet the safety fitness requirements.

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Enforcement (Continued)

• Sec. 4113 Pattern of Safety Violations allows
  FMCSA to suspend or revoke the registration of a
  motor carrier if a company official engages in a
  pattern or practice of avoiding compliance, or
  concealing violations of the safety regulations.

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Medical Requirements
DOT Requested and Congress Mandated
Congress Also Mandated

• Medical Review Board
• Expanded authority over medical examination
  process
• National Registry of Medical Examiners

• Revise the insulin-treated diabetes exemption
  program
• Chief Medical Examiner
• New data requirements

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SAFETEA-LU Implementation Strategy

• Develop evidence-based medical standards
  supported by research, science.
• Ensure effective medical standards that limit,
  or, ideally, eliminate need for exemptions,
  waivers.
• Programs linked to safety impact(s).
• Improve services to drivers, motor carriers,
  the medical examiner community and the public.

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Medical Certificate-CDL Merger Rule RIN 2126-AA10
Medical Rulemaking in Progress

• Require interstate CDL holders to provide a
  current original or copy of their medical
  examiners certificates to their State Driver
  Licensing Agency
• Require State to record medical certification
  status on driver record
• Provide authorized personnel access to data via
  Commercial Drivers License Information System
  (CDLIS) electronic inquiries the motor vehicle
  record (MVR)

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Improve Commercial Drivers License Information
System

• Electronically provide information on convictions
• Contain self-auditing features that ensure data
  quality
• Integrate with medical certificate
• Conform to federal security standards

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Carrier Registration Fees

• FMCSA has established a board of directors for
  the Unified Carrier Registration Plan to govern
  the collection of fees by private fleets,
  for-hire carriers, brokers, freight forwarders,
  and leasing companies.
• Unified Carrier Registration Plan will replace
  the single state Registration System.

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Hours-of-Service Exemptions
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Hours of Service Exemptions

• Sec. 4132 Exempts Utility Service Vehicle
  Drivers from HOS rules
• Sec. 4133 Allows drivers of CMVs transporting
  passengers or equipment to theatrical,
  television, or motion picture sites within 100
  air miles to continue operating under the old HOS
  rules.

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Hours of Service (Cont.)

• Sec. 4146 Exempts drivers transporting grapes
  west of I-81 in New York during harvesting
  season within 150 air miles of the harvest
  location.
• Sec. 4147 Exempts drivers transporting propane
  winter heating fuel or drivers operating vehicles
  responding to pipeline emergency.

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Hours of Service Big Issues

• Sleeper Berth Rule
• Definition of off-duty time
• Interruptions of sleeper berth periods
• Litigation

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Questions and Discussion

Michael S. Griffith, FMCSA
Office of Research and
Analysis
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590
Phone [phone]

E-mail mike.griffith_at_dot.gov
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For Further Information
Michael S. Griffith Director, Office of
Research and Analysis, FMCSA 400 Seventh
Street, SW Washington, DC 20590 Phone
202.366.2829 E-mail mike.griffith_at_dot.gov
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Thank You

• Thank you for inviting me to join you today in
  the great state of Idaho.