Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Thursday the Department of Transportation will propose eliminating an inspection paperwork requirement that will save the trucking industry $1.7 billion annually.
It’s the largest paperwork reduction the federal government has proposed under a May 2012 order from President Obama.
Currently, truck drivers must file paperwork at the end of each day detailing the defects they find on their trucks and trailers, even if they find none. Carriers must retain those reports for audits, under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules.
Under the proposal, there would be no such requirement if drivers find no defects. FMCSA said earlier this year that it would halt the reporting rule if defects aren’t found.
“Moving to a defect-only reporting system would reduce a significant paperwork burden facing truck drivers and save the industry billions without compromising safety,” FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said in the statement.
FMCSA, which has posted the proposal on its website, said it will publish it in the Federal Register in the coming days. The public will be able to submit comments for 60 days, at which point FMCSA will consider them before making the rule final.
Click here to view the proposal. (PDF; DOT website)
“President Obama challenged his administration to find ways to cut waste and red tape, a challenge I pledged to meet during my confirmation hearing,” Foxx said. “With today’s proposal, we are delivering on that pledge, saving business billions of dollars while maintaining our commitment to safety.”
Defect-free reports currently comprise 95% of reports filed, DOT said.
American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said ATA appreciates the Obama administration’s proposal to provide relief on a long-standing paperwork-related burden in the trucking industry, and that the trucking industry “looks forward to working with Secretary Foxx to implement it in the near future.”
“Though this step will provide modest relief to professional drivers and motor carriers, ATA is optimistic this signals Secretary Foxx’s willingness to provide reasonable and appropriate relief to the industry and he will quickly act to provide relief on more substantive issues,” Graves said in a statement.
