49 CFR 391 - QUALIFICATIONS OF DRIVERS AND LONGER COMBINATION VEHICLE (LCV) DRIVER INSTRUCTORS

FMCSA establishes a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) with requirements that all medical examiners who conduct physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers meet the following criteria: Complete certain training concerning FMCSA's physical qualification standards, pass a test to verify an understanding of those standards, and maintain and demonstrate competence through periodic training and testing. Following establishment of the National Registry and a transition period, FMCSA will require that motor carriers and drivers use only those medical examiners on the Agency's National Registry and will only accept as valid medical examiner's certificates issued by medical examiners listed on the National Registry. FMCSA is developing the National Registry program to improve highway safety and driver health by requiring that medical examiners be trained and certified so they can determine effectively whether a CMV driver's medical fitness for duty meets FMCSA's standards.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is correcting a Final Rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 30, 2012 (77 FR 4479), which amended the physical qualifications for drivers and the instructions for the medical examination report to clarify that drivers may not use Schedule I drugs and be qualified to drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) under any circumstances.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends the physical qualifications for drivers and the instructions for the medical examination report to clarify that drivers may not use Schedule I drugs and be qualified to drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) under any circumstances. The rule harmonizes FMCSA's provisions regarding pre-employment and return-to-duty test refusals with corresponding Department of Transportation (DOT)-wide provisions. Finally, the rule corrects inaccurate uses of the term “actual knowledge.”

The FMCSA amends its December 3, 2011, final rule that restricted the use of hand-held mobile telephones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles. That rule was jointly issued by FMCSA and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), but this technical amendment only affects an FMCSA regulation. The purpose of this rule is to correct a clerical error.

FMCSA establishes a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) with requirements that all medical examiners who conduct physical examinations for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers meet the following criteria: Complete certain training concerning FMCSA's physical qualification standards, pass a test to verify an understanding of those standards, and maintain and demonstrate competence through periodic training and testing. Following establishment of the National Registry and a transition period, FMCSA will require that motor carriers and drivers use only those medical examiners on the Agency's National Registry and will only accept as valid medical examiner's certificates issued by medical examiners listed on the National Registry. FMCSA is developing the National Registry program to improve highway safety and driver health by requiring that medical examiners be trained and certified so they can determine effectively whether a CMV driver's medical fitness for duty meets FMCSA's standards.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is correcting a Final Rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 30, 2012 (77 FR 4479), which amended the physical qualifications for drivers and the instructions for the medical examination report to clarify that drivers may not use Schedule I drugs and be qualified to drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) under any circumstances.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends the physical qualifications for drivers and the instructions for the medical examination report to clarify that drivers may not use Schedule I drugs and be qualified to drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) under any circumstances. The rule harmonizes FMCSA's provisions regarding pre-employment and return-to-duty test refusals with corresponding Department of Transportation (DOT)-wide provisions. Finally, the rule corrects inaccurate uses of the term “actual knowledge.”

The FMCSA amends its December 3, 2011, final rule that restricted the use of hand-held mobile telephones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles. That rule was jointly issued by FMCSA and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), but this technical amendment only affects an FMCSA regulation. The purpose of this rule is to correct a clerical error.