A final federal rule that would prohibit carriers, shippers and brokers from coercing truck drivers to violate safety regulations cleared review by the White House Office of Management and Budget last week and is projected to be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 23.
The January 2014 proposed rule was issued in response to a requirement contained in the current transportation law, known as MAP-21, to "ensure ... an operator of a commercial motor vehicle is not coerced by a motor carrier, shipper, receiver or transportation intermediary to operate a commercial vehicle in violation of a regulation,” according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The congressional mandate required that FMCSA weigh whether coercion of drivers is a concern when developing the rule.
Former FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said the proposal included pressure “either by threat of economic damages or threat of physical harm, to violate a core safety rule, whether it’s hours of service or something else.”
A final electronic logging device rule cleared OMB on Nov. 16 and is scheduled to be published Nov. 30, according to the Department of Transportation’s Nov. 15 report on significant rulemakings.
OMB review of a proposed speed-limiter rule for heavy trucks is expected to be completed Nov. 25, and the rule projected to be published Dec. 3, the report said.
