CVSA concerned over number of exemptions

An organization representing state law enforcement agencies that oversee trucking operations has told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the increasing number of exemptions from regulations are a growing burden on the inspectors are must enforce the rules day to day.

In a Feb. 18 letter to acting FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling, CVSA said it is difficult for training agencies to inform inspectors of new exemptions and to ensure each inspector understands all the exemptions and how to apply them.

"It is believed that with the allowance of such a large number of exemptions, the likelihood of achieving a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level that is expected by the current regulation is in jeopardy," said CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney in the letter to Darling. "With so many exemptions, beyond those within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, it is possible that roadside inspectors will no longer accurately enforce the regulations, or may stop enforcing certain regulations all together."

Mooney told Darling that if a roadside inspector is in doubt whether an exemption is applicable to a current roadside situation, the inspector increasingly is likely to skip citing the potential violation, reducing the regulation's effectiveness and safety benefit. Given that state and local partners perform the vast majority of roadside inspection and enforcement, FMCSA should include these parties in deliberations on new or updated regulations and exemptions, Mooney said.

To download a copy of the letter, click here.