FMCSA listening session on safety fitness determinations set for June 29

Washington — As the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration considers updating the methodology it uses to determine if truck and bus companies are fit to operate safely, the agency has scheduled a public listening session.

The session is set for 1 p.m. Central on June 29 at the Texas Trucking Show at Houston’s NRG Center.

FMCSA determines motor carrier fitness by using existing motor carrier safety data and data collected during compliance reviews. This forms a three-tiered rating system of satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory.

The agency would like to hear about issues of concern relating to the current Safety Fitness Determination, including, for example:

• The three-tiered rating system versus changing to a proposed single rating only when a carrier is found to be unfit.
• Using inspection data and FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System.
• Incorporating driver behavior into SFD ratings.
• Revising the list of safety violations used to calculate the rating and adjusting the weights allocated to particular violations, including increasing the weight for unsafe driving violations.

Attendees will be allowed to make brief statements. The agency will accept written comments until Aug. 7.