Safety Requirements for Operators of Small Passenger-Carrying Commercial Motor Vehicles Used In Interstate Commerce

FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to require that motor carriers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) in interstate commerce, must comply with the applicable safety regulations when they are directly compensated for such services and the vehicle is operated beyond a 75 air mile radius (86.3 statute miles or 138.9 kilometers) from the driver's normal work-reporting location. The agency has revised its proposed distance threshold to focus on the distance that the driver operates the vehicle, as opposed to the distance that the passengers are transported. These motor carriers, drivers, and vehicles are now, through this rule, subject to the same safety requirements as motor coach operators, except for the commercial driver's license, and controlled substances and alcohol testing regulations. This rule implements section 212 of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA).