CVSA has announced July 9-15 as this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. Throughout that week, law enforcement officers in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors. Those exhibiting unsafe driving behaviors will be pulled over and given a warning and/or issued a ticket/citation by law enforcement.
On April 19, 6,829 commercial motor vehicles were inspected throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. CVSA's unannounced Brake Safety Day. Inspectors found brake-related critical vehicle inspection items on 11.3% of the vehicles inspected. As a result, inspectors restricted those 773 commercial motor vehicles from travel until the violations were corrected.
CVSA's Brake Safety Day is also an opportunity to obtain additional data related to the health and wellness of brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. This year, CVSA focused on capturing data on brake lining/pad violations. Of the 6,829 commercial motor vehicles inspected, 108 power unit and 87 towed unit lining/pad violations were identified, for a total of 195 combined lining/pad violations.
CVSA has announced May 16-18 as this year’s International Roadcheck. This year, inspectors will focus on anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and cargo securement to highlight the importance of those aspects of vehicle safety. Although ABS violations are not out-of-service violations, ABS play a critical role in reducing the risk of collisions by preventing the wheels from locking up or skidding, allowing a driver to maintain control of the vehicle while braking. In addition, improper cargo securement poses a serious risk to drivers and other motorists by adversely affecting the vehicle’s maneuverability, or worse, causing unsecured loads to fall, resulting in traffic hazards and vehicle collisions.
February 7, 2022 - The FMCSA Training Provider Registry will retain a record of which CDL applicants have completed the new training and certification process outlined in the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations.
FMCSA’s Entry Level Driver Training Program sets the baseline for training requirements for entry-level drivers. This includes those applying to:
The Entry-Level Driver Training regulations are not retroactive; the entry-level driver training requirements do not apply to individuals holding a valid CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement issued prior to February 7, 2022.
Any individual who meets one of the exceptions for taking a skills test in 49 CFR Part 383 is also exempt from the Entry-Level-Driver Training requirements.
Who can be an instructor?
Entry-Level Driver Training is broken into two parts, Theory (Classroom) training and Behind-the-wheel (BTW). Both can be done by the same instructor or by different instructors. Theory training can also be completed via an on-line provider that is registered with the Training Provider Registry.
What are the qualifications for a Theory Instructor?
Theory instructor means an individual who provides knowledge instruction on the operation of a CMV and meets one of these qualifications:
What are the qualifications for a Behind-the-Wheel Instructor?
Behind-the-wheel (BTW) instructor means an individual who provides BTW training involving the actual operation of a CMV by an entry-level driver on a range or a public road and meets one of these qualifications:
FMCSA revises the hours of service (HOS) regulations to provide greater flexibility for drivers subject to those rules without adversely affecting safety, Motor carriers are required to comply with the new HOS regulations starting on September 29, 2020, not before. The Agency:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is issuing this safety advisory concerning pressure relief devices (PRD) that were not manufactured or intended for use on cargo tank motor vehicles. PRDs are an integral part of the safety mechanisms for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) specification cargo tank motor vehicles and are vital to ensuring the safety of hazardous materials transportation by highway.
In 2013, Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies, Inc. issued a voluntary recall on Fisher Control pressure relief devices models H732 and H832. In 2014, the recall was expanded to include models H282, H882, H5112, and H8112. After a recent crash involving a MC330 cargo tank motor vehicle, FMCSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators discovered that one of the PRDs installed on the cargo tank motor vehicle was a Fisher Controls model H282.
All owners and operators of specification MC330 or MC331 cargo tank motor vehicles, and cargo tank motor vehicles operated pursuant to 49 CFR §173.315(k), should immediately inspect their PRDs for these Fisher Controls model numbers. If any of the listed models are discovered, the cargo tank motor vehicle must be taken out of hazardous materials transportation service and the PRD must be immediately removed and replaced. Continued use of these PRDs is a violation of 49 CFR §180.405 and a safety concern.
Registered Inspectors and companies that maintain stocks of Fisher Control PRDs should take all necessary steps to ensure the model numbers listed above are not used for hazardous materials transportation service. Model numbers are located on the PRD as shown above