CVSA wants Hours of Service (HOS) and other exemptions scaled back
Regulatory exemptions are causing roadside inspectors of commercial motor vehicles confusion
The increasing number of regulatory exemptions approved by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) is causing major confusion in enforcement by roadside inspectors, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
In a letter sent to FMCSA last week, CVSA Executive Director Collin B. Mooney said there were way too many exemption applications or renewal requests granted in 2015, including some for vehicle equipment, hours-of-service and more, which are “placing an excessive on inspectors to ensure all active exemptions are being followed properly.” Mooney continued to say that the extra exemptions further puts an undue training burden on agencies that must inform inspectors of the new exemptions.
What CVSA fears
The CVSA fears:
- An increase in exemptions will decrease the level of safety expected by the current regulations
- Roadside inspectors may no longer enforce the regulations.
- Roadside inspectors may stop enforcing certain regulations all together.
CVSA solutions
The CVSA is proposing the following:
- State and local law enforcement be included in new rulemaking and exemption decisions, since they perform most roadside inspections.
- FMCSA reduce the total number of exemptions it grants.
While CVSA opposes frequent exemptions, it does not object to these exemptions on an individual basis. However, when abused, Mooney argued that exemptions complicate the enforcement process, causing major inconsistency in enforcement.
FMCSA Spokesman Duane DeBruyne said the letter is currently under review by the agency.
At the Roundtable, our truck attorneys believe that excessive exemptions do, without a doubt, complicate the system. Furthermore, what’s the point of having rules and regulations in place if so many commercial drivers are excluded from following them? There needs to be consistency.
Otherwise, innocent people on the roadway ultimately pay the price when a serious truck wreck occurs.
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