Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is requesting public comment about factors the agency should consider in amending federal regulations to establish a regulatory framework for autonomous trucks.
The agency previously published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) in May 2019 seeking comments on FMCSRs that may need to be amended, revised or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of trucks equipped with automated driving systems (ADS) to the nation’s highways.
A supplemental advance notice of proposed rulemaking (SANPRM) that will be published Wednesday, Feb. 1, seeks additional information on the topic. The original ANPRM sought answers to questions related to CDL requirements; hours of service; medical qualifications for drivers; inspection, repair and maintenance; and more as they related to autonomous trucks.
The new SANPRM asks questions about whether carriers should be required to notify FMCSA when operating Level 4 and Level 5 (the highest levels of automation) autonomous trucks; oversight of remote operating assistants for Level 4 autonomous trucks; and vehicle inspection and maintenance for Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous trucks.
The move likewise follows the questions the agency asked last year about so-called "electronic ID" systems in trucks petitioned for by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. As noted in follow-on reporting, such systems would seem to be necessary to allow for effective, standardized transmission of vehicle information to roadside law enforcement if/when vehicles are in future unmanned. CVSA also detailed a protocol for inspection of autonomous trucks in October 2022.
