Driver training rule expected this month, speed limiter rule delayed again

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Updated Feb 17, 2016

2015 11 03 16 47The Department of Transportation, in its monthly regulatory update, pushed back the dates on a couple of upcoming rulemakings, including a speed limiter mandate and a rule to establish a CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.

The DOT pushed back the projected publication date for a rule to require speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks to March 15, a month later than the Feb. 15 publication date projected in the DOT’s January-issued report. This rule could require governors on all trucks weighing over 27,000 pounds. The proposed rule, a joint effort from FMCSA and another DOT agency, has been stuck in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget since May 2015.

A rulemaking to implement minimum standards for training entry-level truckers is projected to be published Feb. 18, but the rule still hasn’t cleared  the White House’s OMB. The rule will flesh out minimum standards for training truck operators, including behind-the-wheel training requirements and more.

A Final Rule to implement a CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is now projected to be sent to the OMB in March and not published until mid-June. The rule will establish a database of CDL holders that have failed or refused a drug test and requires carriers to upload this information to FMCSA at least annually. It would also require carriers to query the database when hiring drivers.

The DOT projected a Feb. 12 publication date for a pre-rule dealing with sleep apnea, but it has yet to appear in the Federal Register. The pre-rule would allow for data collection on how many truck operators have obstructive sleep apnea and what impact a sleep apnea rule could have on the industry.­­