The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration late this week proposed two new rules – one to toughen standards for entry into the trucking business and the other to require owners of intermodal chassis to maintain that equipment.

Under the New Entrant Safety Assurance Process, would-be carriers would have to comply with 11 rules that the agency believes are essential elements of safety management. If an applicant did not comply with any of the 11 rules he would fail the audit. The process essentially tightens up current restrictions while preserving the educational component of the system now in place.
The intermodal chassis proposal – known as the “roadability” rule – would clarify who is responsible for making sure that chassis are maintained in safe operating condition. It says that responsibility would lie with the equipment provider, and that the provider would be subject to federal safety regulations.
These proposals are among a half-dozen that have been pending for months. The others are: the agency’s new approach to how drivers document compliance with the hours of service rule; a proposal on electronic onboard recorders for tracking driver hours; medical certification for the commercial driver’s license and a proposal concerning household goods brokers.
The proposals were published in the December 21 Federal Register: www.gpoaccess.gov.