ATA wants ‘unnecessary’ truck rules off the books

ARLINGTON, Va. – The American Trucking Associations pointed out nine "outdated, obsolete or onerous" rules for the Obama Administration to reconsider in response to the president’s pledge to help reduce the regulatory burden on U.S. businesses.

In comments filed April 1, ATA pointed to a number of rules issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as unnecessary or redundant.

"The trucking industry understands the need for sensible regulations, particularly when it comes to safety," ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said. "However, as this list demonstrates, we must constantly review those regulations to make sure they continue to make sense."

A few of these rules are:

A PHMSA rule requiring United Nations’ identification numbers on bulk containers holding residue from hazardous materials; as well as requirements for fleets to provide "unnecessary and burdensome" information when applying for a special permit to haul certain materials.

The FMCSA requirement for drivers to notify their employer of non-parking related traffic convictions – a rule, ATA says, which "is made moot by the proliferation of databases like the Commercial Driver License Information System."

The FMCSA requirement for motor carriers to ensure all vehicles be free of oil and gas leaks, which is "impossible for carriers to comply with and is redundant because of other maintenance rules."

For more unnecessary rules ATA wants to see wiped off the books click here.