Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Every year roughly 100,000 fatal and injury crashes occur in the United States involving large trucks and buses. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation works to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. FMCSA uses information that is collected on the frequency of approximately 900 different violations of safety regulations discovered during (mainly) roadside inspections to assess motor carriers' compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, as well as to evaluate their compliance in comparison with their peers. Through use of this information, FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) identifies carriers to receive its available interventions in order to reduce the risk of crashes across all carriers. Improving Motor Carrier Safety Measurement examines the effectiveness of the use of the percentile ranks produced by SMS for identifying high-risk carriers, and if not, what alternatives might be preferred. In addition, this report evaluates the accuracy and sufficiency of the data used by SMS, to assess whether other approaches to identifying unsafe carriers would identify high-risk carriers more effectively, and to reflect on how members of the public use the SMS and what effect making the SMS information public has had on reducing crashes.

There are approximately 4,000 fatalities in crashes involving trucks and buses in the United States each year. Though estimates are wide-ranging, possibly 10 to 20 percent of these crashes might have involved fatigued drivers. The stresses associated with their particular jobs (irregular schedules, etc.) and the lifestyle that many truck and bus drivers lead, puts them at substantial risk for insufficient sleep and for developing short- and long-term health problems. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Fatigue, Long-Term Health and Highway Safety assesses the state of knowledge about the relationship of such factors as hours of driving, hours on duty, and periods of rest to the fatigue experienced by truck and bus drivers while driving and the implications for the safe operation of their vehicles. This report evaluates the relationship of these factors to drivers' health over the longer term, and identifies improvements in data and research methods that can lead to better understanding in both areas.

The need to understand and follow applicable government regulations is critical to providing safety for everyone affected by the transportation industry. Motor Carrier Safety simplifies the many complexities of legal compliance for the transportation of goods by highway. It provides you with the tools and focus required to achieve full regulatory compliance. The author examines current regulations to determine what issues and requirements pertain to such issues as hazardous materials, drugs and alcohol, employee safety and health. Bulleted lists present the regulations in a clear, easy-to-use format. You will understand the issues and be able to determine the specific regulations that affect your place of business. In addition to regulations and standards, this book covers points of training, record keeping, and suggestions for annual audits. Case studies relating to various regulations help you realize how either violating or complying will impact your business. These features combine to make Motor Carrier Safety the perfect vehicle for launching your in-house training program. The laws governing the transportation of goods by truck vary from agency to agency. Motor Carrier Safety makes clear the regulations and provides the you with a practical source for complying with them. This book helps you to understand your regulatory exposure for non-compliance and guides you through the steps to becoming compliant.