Two separate requests have been filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration asking for an extension of the public comment period for the agency’s proposed rule to reform hours of service regulations. The comment period was slated for 45 days, currently set to close Oct. 7.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance filed a petition Aug. 22 requesting that the agency provide an additional 45 days beyond the current Oct. 7 deadline, which would push the total comment period to 90 days. “[Forty-five] days is not adequate time to prepare and approve comments on such a complicated and important issue,” CVSA wrote in its petition. “In order to provide comments that will contribute to a comprehensive, well informed, science and data-based NPRM, it is imperative that stakeholders be given additional time to develop their comments.”
The American Trucking Associations in a request filed Aug. 27 asked for a 30-day extension beyond the Oct. 7 date. “ATA is concerned that there will be insufficient time within the current comment period to coordinate with our members and develop comments on this important [notice of proposed rulemaking]. The NPRM requests specific feedback on company operations, including data and potential impacts resulting from the proposed changes, which will take time to compile and review in order to ensure its accuracy. The complexity of the issues presented in the NPRM constitutes good cause for allowing additional time to comment and to ensure that accurate data can be obtained from our members.”
