The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants to open informal discussions on its proposed reforms in the truck driver hours of service in hope of resolving issues that have generated a great deal of opposition. The agency, however, is not considering a negotiated rulemaking to iron out differences.
Meanwhile, several labor and safety groups have urged the Senate to remove language in the fiscal 2001 transportation appropriations bill that would prohibit funding of the controversial hours-of-service rulemaking.
In 1999, at the request of American Trucking Associations, FMCSA considered a negotiated rulemaking, which brings together interested parties to hammer out regulatory issues, but were advised that it would be extremely difficult to reach a consensus on the hours proposal. Now the agency is considering a less formal appeal.
“We’re working on some options to gather comment to move it ahead, and this is one idea that we consider as a good start,” said Longo. Notice of the meeting will be posted in the Federal Register, maybe as early as this week, FMCSA spokesman David Longo told Transport Topics Aug. 2.
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