Notice of Request for Information (RFI): Training Certification for Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles

Kelly Leone
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
September 9, 2010

[Federal Register: September 9, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 174)]
[Notices]               
[Page 54945-54946]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09se10-136]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2010-0273]

 
Notice of Request for Information (RFI): Training Certification 
for Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA 
announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) 
described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review 
and approval and invites public comment. The FMCSA requests OMB 
approval to revise an ICR entitled, ``Training Certification for 
Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles.'' This ICR is necessary because 
the training certificates drivers are required to present to 
prospective employers serve as proof the drivers have successfully 
completed the training to operate Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs) 
safely on the Nation's highways. Motor carriers are required to 
maintain a copy of the training certification in each LCV driver's 
qualification file, which may be reviewed by Federal or State 
enforcement officials. This ICR is being revised due to an anticipated 
increase in the estimated number of LCV drivers submitting training 
certificates to employers resulting in change to the estimated 
information collection burden for this training task.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before November 8, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket 
Management System Number FMCSA-2010-0273 by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building, Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and 
docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and 
additional information on the exemption process, see the Public 
Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov, and follow the online 
instructions for accessing the dockets, or go to the street address 
listed above.
    Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
Privacy Act Statement for the Federal Docket Management System 
published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2008 (73 FR 3316, or 
you may visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdfE8-794.pdf.
    Public participation: The Federal eRulemaking Portal is available 
24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can obtain electronic 
submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the ``help'' section 
of the Federal eRulemaking Portal Web site. If you want us to notify 
you that we received your comments, please include a self-addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard, or print the acknowledgement page that 
appears after submitting comments online. Comments received after the 
comment closing date will be included in the docket and will be 
considered to the extent practicable.

[[Page 54946]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas Yager, Chief, Driver and 
Carrier Operations Division, Department of Transportation, Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202-366-4325; e-
mail tom.yager@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4007(b) of the Motor Carrier Act of 1991 (Title IV of the 
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), Pub. 
L. 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2152; 49 U.S.C. 31307) requires the 
Secretary of Transportation to establish Federal minimum training 
requirements for drivers of LCVs. The responsibility for implementing 
the statutory requirement was subsequently delegated to FMCSA (49 CFR 
1.73). The FMCSA, in a final rule entitled, ``Minimum Training 
Requirements for Longer Combination Vehicle (LCV) Operators and LCV 
Driver-Instructor Requirements'' adopted implementing regulations for 
minimum training requirements for the operators of LCVs (March 30, 
2004; 69 FR 16722).
    The 2004 final rule created an information collection burden 
concerning the certification of new, current and non-grandfathered LCV 
drivers. An LCV is any combination of a truck-tractor and two or more 
semi-trailers or trailers, which operates on the National System of 
Interstate and Defense Highways (as defined in 23 CFR 470.107) and has 
a gross vehicle weight greater than 80,000 pounds. The purpose of this 
rule is to enhance the safety of LCV operations on our nation's 
highways.
    By regulation, motor carriers cannot allow a driver to operate an 
LCV without ensuring that the driver has been properly trained in 
accordance with the requirements of 49 CFR 380.113. LCV drivers must 
present their LCV Driver-Training Certificate to prospective employers 
as proof of qualification to drive LCVs. Motor carriers must maintain a 
copy of the LCV Training Certificate in order to be able to show 
Federal, State or local officials that drivers operating LCVs are 
certified to do so.
    Title: Training Certification for Drivers of Longer Combination 
Vehicles.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-0026.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently-approved information 
collection.
    Respondents: Drivers who complete LCV training each year, current 
LCV drivers who submit the LCV Driver-Training Certificate to a 
prospective employer, and motor carriers receiving and filing the 
certificates.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 31,500 drivers and motor carriers 
(750 new LCV drivers plus 15,000 current LCV drivers plus 15,750 motor 
carriers).
    Estimated Number of Responses: 31,500 (750 new LCV drivers plus 
15,000 current LCV drivers plus 15,750 motor carriers).
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes for preparation of LCV 
Driver-Training Certificate and an additional 10 minutes for the use of 
the LCV Driver-Training Certificate during the hiring process each 
year.
    Expiration Date: February 28, 2011.
    Frequency of Response: At various times during the year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 2,750 hours. The total number of 
drivers per year for whom this activity will occur consists of newly-
trained LCV drivers (750) and current LCV drivers changing employers 
(15,000), a total of 15,750 drivers. The total annual information 
collection burden is estimated to be 2,750 hours: Preparation of LCV 
Driver-Training Certificate [750 newly trained LCV drivers x 10 minutes 
/ 60 minutes], and use of the certificate during the hiring process 
[15,750 total LCV drivers x 10 minutes / 60 minutes]
    Definitions: The LCV training regulations under 49 CFR part 380 are 
applicable only to drivers of ``longer combination vehicles,'' defined 
as ``any combination of a truck-tractor and two or more trailers or 
semi-trailers, which operate[s] on the National System of Interstate 
and Defense Highways (defined in 23 CFR 470.107) with a gross vehicle 
weight greater than 80,000 pounds'' (49 CFR 380.105).
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for FMCSA's performance; (2) the accuracy of 
the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FMCSA to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that 
the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the 
collected information. The Agency will summarize or include your 
comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this information 
collection.

    Issued on: September 2, 2010.
Kelly Leone,
Director, Office of Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2010-22458 Filed 9-8-10; 8:45 am]
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