Feds Signal Hazmat Delay

roups representing state vehicle licensing agencies and the trucking industry said federal officials have told them they would delay looming deadlines for security background checks of hazardous materials drivers.

That delay would ease a pressing schedule issue that has raised concerns among numerous hazmat haulers, and could affect 3.5 million drivers who have hazmat endorsements to their commercial driver licenses.

Both the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and American Trucking Associations said they had received word that the Transportation Security Administration would push back its schedule for states to begin checking driver fingerprints against criminal records by Nov. 3.