Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Archives - Fleet Equipment Magazine
USDOT hosts first meeting of Women of Trucking Advisory Board

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hosted the inaugural meeting of the Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB), where members discussed the results of a new FMCSA report on driver safety. The new Advisory Board, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is composed of 16 founding members

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FMCSA proposes rear impact guards be checked during annual inspections

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently proposed to include the rear impact guard on the list of items that need to be examined during a commercial vehicle’s annual inspection. Despite being a requirement on most commercial vehicles since the 1950s, rear impact guards are not yet required to be checked during an annual

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FMCSA extends HOS emergency declaration until Aug. 14

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is continuing the extension of Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002, which gives commercial motor vehicle drivers responding to COVID-19 relief from hours of service regulations. This extension continues the exemption granted from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) through Aug. 14. Emergency Declaration

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The ins and outs of trailer tire inflation technology

One of the biggest culprits behind tire costs, if not the biggest, is improper inflation, which is why many fleets turn to technology to help avoid these problems and save money and time.

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U.S. Department of Transportation seeks input on automated driving systems technologies

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued advance notices of proposed rulemaking on the removal of unnecessary regulatory barriers to the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) vehicles in the United States.

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Report: FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System conceptually sound, improvements recommended

  While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Safety Measurement System (SMS) used to identify commercial motor vehicle carriers at high risk for future crashes is conceptually sound, several features of its implementation need improvement, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and sponsored by FMCSA.

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Speed limiters aim to save $1 billion in fuel costs annually

It’s no secret that governing vehicle speed reduces fuel use and potentially reduces accidents related to speed. So it should come as no surprise that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) continue to be involved in finding ways to govern on-highway speeds. To that end, the agencies recently

Easing ELD concerns

While the implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic logging device (ELD) rules will usher in significant changes for our industry, there are many potential benefits. Despite the startup costs and learning curves, fleets may be poised to see significant improvements. “As fleets adopt various solutions, one of the biggest areas of concern

Evolving technology and vehicle insurance

Companies that insure motor carriers, trucks and drivers are not all the same. Some sell through independent agents, others through their own sales staffs. Some specialize in commercial truck insurance, while others sell it as one of a secondary line of coverage. Some insurance companies specialize in specific niches within the motor-carrier industry, such as

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Tires & CSA: An update

Tires play a major role when it comes to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) program. The two fleet Safety Management System (SMS) for CSA categories are 1) vehicle maintenance and 2) hazardous material compliance. Tires fall under the vehicle maintenance category. Violations associated with tires receive either a three

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Ten tips for avoiding crashes, litigation

Every trucking and transportation organization wants to ensure the safety of all vehicles on the road. The Department of Transportation reports that commercial truck crashes are on the decline, but in 2013 there were more than 92,000 crashes involving large trucks and more than 3,500 fatalities, at a cost of $99 billion. According to Michael

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ATRI study identifies operational, economic impact from new HOS rules

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)  released the findings of its latest analysis of the operational and economic impacts resulting from the new hours-of-service (HOS) rules, which went into effect July 1, 2013. The changes to the HOS rules implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) include provisions which limit use of the 34-hour

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