Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/596928
Logbook November 2015 | Overdrive | 17 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration started work Oct. 1 on a rule that would set up screening and treatment require- ments for drivers who by defi- nition are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea. FMCSA's initial focus is to prepare an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Unlike a standard Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the advanced notice is intended to gather data before proceeding to a rule proposal. A monthly regulatory report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation indicates the ANPRM will be published in mid-December. The agency will use the infor- mation gathered in the ANPRM to identify the economic impact and safety benefits of a potential rule to require those "who exhibit multiple risk factors for OSA" to undergo screening for a potential diagnosis and be treated if such a diagnosis is issued. FMCSA in January issued a bulletin of clarification on sleep apnea screening following concerns from Congress, industry stakeholders and the National Transportation Safety Board. The clarification stated that the decision to send a driver for sleep apnea evaluation and treatment is to be left up to the medical ex- aminer issuing a driver's required biannual medical certification. – James Jaillet FMCSA working on potential apnea rule The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month revised the regulations pertaining to automatic onboard recording devices to allow drivers to correct inaccurate information. The guidance states that "within certain limits, a driver must be allowed to review his or her AOBRD records, annotate and correct inaccurate records, enter any missing information, and certify the accuracy of the information." FMCSA says the AOBRD has to keep the original entries and reflect the date, time and name of the person making edits to the information. "Drivers' supervisors may request that a driver make edits to correct errors, but the driver must accept or reject such requests," FMCSA says. Driving time cannot be edited except with unidentified or team drivers and when driving time was assigned to the wrong driver or no driver at all. Motor carriers began using AOBRDs in the mid-1980s. In 1997, initial regulatory guidance was published to prohibit drivers from amending AOBRD records of duty status during a trip. The AOBRD category encompasses older electronic logging devices, which differ from the electronic logging devices FMCSA proposed to mandate last year. Carriers and owner-operators us- ing devices deemed AOBRDs will have a four-year compliance grace period once the agency's ELD mandate is published, whereas all other carriers have two years to comply. – Matt Cole Recorder regs revised to allow corrections FUEL SIPPER. You know what it takes to get the job done. That's why when you build a Western Star, you can outfi t it with a customized Detroit ™ powertrain to help you do just that. From the engine to the transmission and axles, you can spec the right truck for any job, inside and out. westernstar.com FUEL SIPPER. You know what it takes to get the Daimler Detroit / #81059 Western Star Detroit Ad 4C, 2.25 x 9.5 / Overdrive Magazine DETROIT_81059_WS_Overdrive.indd 1 10/19/15 12:06 PM Untitled-29 1 10/21/15 8:32 AM