E8-5177. Commercial Driver's License Standards: Application for Exemption; Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo)

AGENCY:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of application for exemption; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

FMCSA announces that Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) has applied for an exemption from the Federal requirement for a driver of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to hold a commercial drivers license (CDL). Volvo requests that the exemption cover three Swedish field test engineers who will test-drive CMVs for Volvo within the United States. These three Volvo employees all hold a valid Swedish CDL. Volvo states the exemption is needed to support a Volvo field test to meet future clean air standards, to test-drive Volvo prototype vehicles to verify results in “real world” environments, and to deliver the vehicles if necessary in the United States. Volvo believes the knowledge and skills tests and training program that Swedish drivers undergo to obtain a Swedish CDL ensures the exemption would provide a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety obtained by complying with the U.S. requirements for a CDL.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before April 14, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket Management System Number FMCSA-2006-25756 by any of the following methods:

• Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the Federal electronic docket site.
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, Room W-12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 20590-0001.
• Hand Delivery: Ground Floor, Room W12-140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.

Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments and additional information on the exemption process, see the Public Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to www.regulations.gov at any time or to the ground floor, room W12-140, DOT Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit www.regulations.gov.

Public Participation: The www.regulations.gov Web site is generally available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. You can get electronic submission and retrieval help and guidelines under the “help” section of the www.regulations.gov Web site and also at the DOT's http://docketsinfo.dot.gov Web site. If you want us to notify you that we received your comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard or print the acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Richard Clemente, FMCSA Driver and Carrier Operations Division; Office of Bus and Truck Standards and Operations; Telephone: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 4007 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Pub. L. 105-178, 112 Stat. 107, June 9, 1998) amended 49 U.S.C. 31315 and 31136(e) to provide authority to grant exemptions from motor carrier safety regulations. Under its regulations, FMCSA must publish a notice of each exemption request in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(a)). The Agency must provide the public an opportunity to inspect the information relevant to the application, including the conducting of any safety analyses. The Agency must also provide an opportunity for public comment on the application.

The Agency reviews the safety analyses and the public comments, and determines whether granting the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved by the current regulation (49 CFR 381.305). The decision of the Agency must be published in the Federal Register (49 CFR 381.315(b)) with the reason for denying or, in the alternative, the specific person or class of persons receiving the exemption, and the regulatory provision or provisions from which exemption is granted. The notice must also specify the effective period of the exemption (up to 2 years), and explain the terms and conditions of the exemption. The exemption may be renewed (49 CFR 381.300(b)).

Request for Exemption

Volvo has applied for an exemption from the commercial driver's license (CDL) rules, specifically 49 CFR 383.23 that prescribes licensing requirements for drivers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate or intrastate commerce. Volvo requests the exemption because its driver-employees are citizens and residents of Sweden, and because they cannot apply for a CDL in any of the United States. A copy of the application is in Docket No. FMCSA-2006-25756.

The exemption would allow three drivers to operate CMVs in interstate commerce as part of a team of drivers who will support a Volvo field test to meet future air quality standards, to test-drive Volvo prototype vehicles at its test site and in the vicinity around Phoenix, Arizona, to verify results in “real world” environments, and to deliver the vehicles if necessary in the U.S. The drivers are: Andreas Hamsten, Carl-Gustaf Theen, and Therese Johansson.

Each driver holds a valid Swedish CDL, and as explained by Volvo in previous exemption requests, drivers applying for a Swedish-issued CDL must undergo a training program and pass a knowledge and skills tests. Volvo also stated in prior exemption requests that the knowledge and skills tests and training program that Swedish drivers undergo to obtain a Swedish CDL ensure the exemption provides a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety obtained by complying with the U.S. requirement for a CDL.

FMCSA has previously determined the process for obtaining a Swedish-issued CDL is comparable to, or as effective as the Federal requirements of Part 383, and adequately assesses the driver's ability to operate CMVs in the U.S. On prior occasions FMCSA has published notices concerning similar Volvo requests. The first notice was the granting of an exemption to Volvo for 11 Swedish CDL drivers permitting them to operate CMVs in the U.S. (71 FR 27780, May 12, 2006). Of these 11 drivers, Volvo requested and received renewal of the exemption for an additional 2 years (73 FR 6552, February 4, 2008). Notices granting an exemption to Volvo for ten Swedish CDL drivers permitting them to operate CMVs in the U.S. were published on April 23, 2007 (72 FR 20166, 20167).

Request for Comments

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315(b)(4) and 31136(e), FMCSA requests public comment on Volvo's application for an exemption from the CDL requirements of 49 CFR 383.23. The Agency will consider all comments received by close of business on April 14, 2008. Comments will be available for examination in the docket at the location listed under the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The Agency will consider to the extent practicable comments received in the public docket after the closing date of the comment period.

Issued on: March 10, 2008.

Charles A. Horan III,

Acting Associate Administrator for Policy and Program Development.