Regulatory Update – January 17, 2025

January 17, 2025

Update on Relevant U.S. Regulations

PHMSA Publishes Updates on Special Permits
On Jan. 16, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published updates on special permit applications:

FMCSA Requests Comments on Transportation of Household Goods ICR
On Jan. 15, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)  comments on the information collection request (ICR) titled “Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection,” which applies to household goods motor carriers who are procured by the public to transport their household goods. Comments are due by March 17.

U.S. DOT Requests Comments on NMFN Draft
On Jan. 13, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)  comments on the draft designation of the National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN) prior to designating the NMFN. Comments are due by Feb. 27.

FMCSA Publishes Technical Corrections to Final Rule
On Jan. 10, FMCSA  a  to make technical corrections. The final rule initially included an amendatory instruction to revise a stayed section without first lifting the stay and also included an amendatory instruction which referenced an incorrect paragraph letter. The correction is effective Jan. 10.

PHMSA Extends Comment Period for HM-265 NPRM
On Jan. 8, PHMSA  the comment period for the  (NPRM) titled “Hazardous Materials: Advancing Safety of Highway, Rail and Vessel Transportation (HM-265).” Comments are now due by April 28.

FMCSA Requests Comments on Study of Warning Devices for Stopped Commercial Motor Vehicles ICR
On Jan. 8, FMCSA  comments on the Study of Warning Devices for Stopped Commercial Motor Vehicles ICR, which is an experimental study that requires data collection for evaluating whether warning devices meaningfully influence crash-relevant aspects of human performance in the presence of a parked or disabled commercial motor vehicle (CMV), and if so, how and to what extent. Comments are due by March 10.

FMCSA Requests Comments on Medical Qualification Requirements ICR
On Jan. 8, FMCSA  comments on the Medical Qualification Requirements ICR which will be used to determine and certify driver medical fitness. Comments are due by Feb. 7.

FMCSA Requests Comments on ELD Vendor Registration ICR
On Jan. 8, FMCSA  comments on the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Vendor Registration ICR which relates to the requirement that ELD vendors register their devices with the agency. Comments are due by March 10.

FMCSA Requests Comments on Financial Responsibility Motor Carriers, Freight Forwarders and Brokers ICR
On Jan. 6, FMCSA  comments on the ICR titled “Financial Responsibility Motor Carriers, Freight Forwarders and Brokers,” which would provide registered motor carriers, property brokers and freight forwarders a means of meeting financial responsibility filing requirements. Comments are due by March 7.

NHTSA Publishes Revisions to Uniform Procedures for State Highway Safety Grant Programs
On Jan. 6, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  revisions to the minimum performance measures that state highway safety offices use in their triennial highway safety plans.

U.S. DOT Opens Application for Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award
On Jan. 6, the U.S. DOT  the application for the annual Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award, which seeks to raise awareness among transportation stakeholders about human trafficking and increase training and prevention to combat the crime. Submissions will be accepted through March 7.

NHTSA Grants Gillig LLC Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance
On Jan. 6, NHTSA  Gillig LLC’s petition for decision of inconsequential noncompliance determining certain model year 2013-2019 Gillig Low Floor buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 102, Transmission Shift Position Sequence, Starter Interlock and Transmission Braking Effect.

Update on Exemptions

FMCSA Requests Comments on Grote Rear Lamp Exemption
On Jan. 17, FMCSA  comments on the application from Grote Industries LLC (Grote) for a renewal of its exemption allowing motor carriers to install amber brake-activated pulsating warning lamps on the rear of trailers and van body trucks in addition to the steady-burning brake lamps required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Comments are due by Feb. 17.

FMCSA Grants ATA Exemption
On Jan. 16, FMCSA  a five-year exemption to the American Trucking Associations (ATA) on behalf of motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers and individuals, from the requirements that an individual must complete one year of training, experience or a combination thereof prior to being qualified to conduct annual CMV inspections and complete brake-related inspection, repair and maintenance tasks on CMVs. This exemption is effective Jan. 16, 2025, through Jan. 16, 2030.

FMCSA Renews VSNA Mirror Exemption
On Jan. 16, FMCSA  its final decision to renew Vision Systems North America Inc.’s (VSNA) five-year limited exemption that allows motor carriers to utilize the company’s Smart-Vision system instead of two rear-vision mirrors. This renewed exemption is effective Jan. 15, 2025, through Jan. 15, 2030.

FMCSA Requests Comments on Bianco Exemption Application
On Jan. 15, FMCSA  comments on the application from Bianco Trucking Services LLC (Bianco) for an exemption to allow 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers holding a Wisconsin state-issued commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and a “K” restriction on their CLP to attend its driver training facility in Michigan. Comments are due by Feb. 14.

CVSA Active Exemption Tracker
CVSA maintains a  issued by FMCSA. The exemption tracker can be found at www.cvsa.org under the “Inspections” tab at the top of the page.

Other Items of Interest

PHMSA Publishes October Hazardous Matters Newsletter
Hazardous Matters is PHMSA’s quarterly newsletter for hazardous materials safety. Every quarter, this publication consolidates timely information on the latest rulemaking activities, upcoming workshops and webinars, newest publications, and other highlights from PHMSA’s current safety initiatives. The  was published on Jan. 14.

FMCSA Opens Application Window for Discretionary Grant to Promote CMV Safety and Innovative Technologies
On Jan. 8, FMCSA  a notice of funding opportunity for five separate discretionary grants in the fiscal 2025 application cycle. Grant applications are due by March 7 at 5 p.m. Eastern time. The grants will fund projects that advance the technological capability and promote the deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for CMV operations and CMV safety-related activities.

FMCSA Removes Six Devices from List of Registered ELDs
On Jan. 8, FMCSA  the following ELDs from its list of registered ELDs and placed them on the revoked ELDs list due to the providers’ failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 395, Subpart B, Appendix A.

  • Blue Star ELD by Blue Star ELD Inc. (ELD Identifier: BSE777)
  • Road Star Solutions by Road Star Inc. (ELD Identifier: RSSA01)
  • United ELD by Road Star Inc. (ELD Identifier: UEI002)
  • Speed ELD by Speed ELD (ELD Identifier: SP33D3)
  • Track Ensure ELD by TrackEnsure Incorporated (ELD Identifier: TE0101)
  • Track Ensure ELD* by TrackEnsure Incorporated (ELD Identifier: TE0101)

*FMCSA removed two separate TrackEnsure ELDs with the same ELD name, model number and identifier.

Motor carriers and drivers were instructed to discontinue using the revoked devices listed above and revert to paper logs or other logging software to record required hours-of-service data. The revoked ELDs must be replaced with compliant ELDs from the registered ELDs list before March 9.

Motor carriers and drivers that use the revoked ELDs listed above on or after March 9 will be in violation of 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1) – No Record of Duty Status and will be placed out of service in accordance with CVSA’s North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.