Industry News: Agency Raises Safety Requirements For New Trucking Companies

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will begin enforcing its New Entrant Safety Assurance Process rule, which requires newly registered truck companies to meet stricter safety requirements. This final rule raises the compliance standards for passing new entrant safety audits and requires that new carriers correct safety deficiencies before being granted permanent registration.

Under the new requirements, a newly registered trucker will automatically fail its safety audit if violations of any one of 16 essential federal regulations are discovered. These regulations cover controlled substances and alcohol testing, hours-of-service rules, driver qualifications, vehicle condition and carrier insurance responsibility.

Failure to pass a new entrant safety audit may result in revocation of a carriers registration, unless that carrier takes corrective action within a time period established by FMCSA. Additionally, if certain violations are discovered during roadside inspections, the new carrier may be subject to an expedited safety audit or a compliance review that can result in fines or an out-of-service order.

For more information on the New Entrant Safety Assurance Process rule, visit the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.com.

Keywords: FMCSA Requirements,New Trucking Company,Safety Requirements,Industry News,Audit