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Regulatory Guidance

Welcome to the FMCSA Guidance Portal. This web portal is a searchable, indexed database that contains and links to all guidance documents in effect from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract.

To comment on any guidance document, or to request issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of any guidance document, please identify the guidance document in your request and send it to: FMCSAguidance@dot.gov. NOTE: The FMCSAguidance mailbox is not intended to serve as a mailbox for general inquiries. For inquiries that go beyond the limited purpose of the FMCSAguidance mailbox, please call FMCSA's Information Line (800-832-5660) or visit FMCSA's "Contact Us" page to send your inquiry to the appropriate mailbox.

Subject Agency Identifier Topic Issued Date
Section 393.70(d) requires that every full trailer must be coupled to the frame FMCSA-VEH-393.70-Q03 Two sets of safety chains attached to draw bar
Is a heat shield mandatory on a vertical exhaust stack? FMCSA-VEH-393.83-Q01 Heat shield on vertical exhaust stack?
(395.8-Q12) FMCSA-HOS-395.8-Q12 Hours of Service Records of Duty Status
What does “servicing” of the field operations of the natural gas and oil industry cover? FMCSA-HOS-395.1-Q06 Hours of Service
How does §391.63 apply when motor carriers obtain, from a driver leasing service, intermittent, casual, or occasional drivers who are on temporary assignments to multiple motor carriers? FMCSA-DQ-391.63-Q002 Multiple-employer drivers
How should a random testing program be structured to account for the schedules of school bus or other drivers employed on a seasonal basis? FMCSA-D&A-382.305-Q03 How to structure random testing program to account for the schedules of school bus or other drivers employed who work on a seasonal basis
May an employer use the results of another program in which a driver participates to satisfy random testing requirements if the driver is used by the employer only occasionally? FMCSA-D&A-382.305-Q05 Using another’s program to satisfy random testing requirements
Question 11: Who is responsible for reimbursing the SAP for services rendered? Who is responsible for paying for follow-up testing recommended by the SAP? FMCSA-D&A-382.605-Q11 Drug & Alcohol Testing – Payment for SAP Services and Follow-up Testing