Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/305892
Logbook 16 | Overdrive | May 2014 The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association filed a petition last month to delay the medical ex- aminer registry rule until more agen- cy-certified examiners are available for truck operators to use for medical certifications. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took no action, saying the low number of certified examiners should not be a problem, at least initially. The rule, made final in 2012, requires that after May 21, 2014, drivers be certified by an FMC- SA-certified medical examiner when they're due for recertifica- tion. Drivers who renew their med- ical certification with a non-FMC- SA-certified examiner prior to May 21 wouldn't need to be certified by an FMCSA-approved medical examiner until early 2016. OOIDA said only a little more than 10,000 examiners were certified by March 28. The association's petition said this will make it difficult for drivers to find medical examiners – potentially sidelining their operation – and will drive up costs for those that do. In its rule, the agency projected 40,000 medical examiners would become registered by the compliance date to provide certification for the estimated 4.4 million drivers who fall under the rule's guidelines. The agency is closer to meeting the 40,000 goal than it appears, said FMCSA spokesperson Marissa Pa- dilla, as more than 13,000 examiners are in the registry. An additional 4,200 are scheduled to take the test to become certified, she said, and an- other 19,600 have signed up to start the process of becoming certified. Also, Padilla said, 40,000 medical examiners won't be needed May 21, as not all drivers will need immediate Medical registry deadline May 21 Increased size, weight limits draw heat Trucking and safety groups took to Washington, D.C., last month to note their opposition to increases to truck size and weight limits. Groups included the Team- sters, Truck Safety Coali- tion, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, Advo- cates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Asso- ciation consistently opposes measures to increase truck size and weight limits, citing higher costs – equip- ment, fuel, maintenance, insurance and permits – that owner-operators would have trouble absorbing. The American Trucking Associations, however, has backed legislation to allow states to increase them. Findings from a con- gressionally required U.S. Department of Transpor- tation study show that the fatal crash rate is eight times higher when trucks with six or more axles are involved, compared to those with five axles. Mar- shall University's Multi- modal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium also concluded that fatal crash rates were 15.5 per- cent higher when double trailer trucks are involved. MTIC's report also concluded that 95 percent of law enforcement officers think increasing size and weight limits would be dangerous, while 88 per- cent of truck drivers think longer, heavier vehicles would hurt safety. — Staff reports A large majority of truckers and law enforcement officers think increasing size and weight limits would be dangerous. OOIDA: Shortfall of certified examiners could put drivers at risk Logbook_0514.indd 16 4/30/14 3:02 PM