Projected speed limiter publication date delayed again, CDL clearinghouse set to publish in August

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Updated Jun 20, 2016

5. FMCSA announces intent to produce speed limiter ruleThe publication date of the Final Rule for the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is still on track for Aug. 29, according to the Department of Transportation’s monthly regulatory update, published this week.

The rulemaking was sent to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget on May 18. It will require carriers to report failed drug tests and test refusals of CDL holders to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Owner-operators must also report to FMCSA the consortium or third-party drug test administrator it uses and authorize it to submit information on any of its drivers, including themselves, to the database. More on the Clearinghouse rule can be seen here.

More than a year after being sent to the OMB, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to mandate speed limiters on trucks is still hung up, and its projected publication date has once again been pushed back. The DOT, in its report, now projects the rule to be published by the end of summer 2016. The previous projection was for it to publish by the end of spring.

The joint rule between the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to implement the next phase of fuel efficiency and emissions standards, which was sent to the OMB June 3, is set to be published Sept. 12, according to the DOT’s report. The standards will begin taking effect for trailers for model year 2018 units and 2021 for tractors. The plan goes through 2027, when the entire vehicle ­­– engine, truck and trailer – will be required to meet certain standards.

A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is expected to be published early next year will include MAP-21 enhancements and other updates to the Unified Registration System. The DOT says the rule proposes to implement several MAP-21 provisions that relate to the URS, as well as update and codify FMCSA’s procedures for granting, suspending and revoking registration. The DOT says the procedures would apply to all entities required to register under FMCSA’s commercial or safety jurisdiction. The publication date for the rule remains unchanged for Jan. 18, 2017.