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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
If a “driver trainer” occasionally drives a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), thereby becoming a “driver” (regardless of whether he/she is paid for driving), must the driver record all non driving (training) time as on-duty (not driving)? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q08 Hours of Service Definitions
Does § 393.83 specify the type of exhaust system, vertical or horizontal, to be used on trucks or truck tractors? FMCSA-VEH-393.83-Q02 Vertical vs. horizontal exhaust systems
How many miles may a driver record on his/her daily record of duty status and still be presumed to be in compliance with the speed limits? FMCSA-DRV-392.6-Q001 Compliance with speed limits
Does off-road motorized construction equipment meet the definitions of "motor vehicle" and "commercial motor vehicle" as used in §§ 383.5 and 390.5T? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q007 Applicability of FMCSRs to off-road motorized construction equipment
If a driver has his/her license suspended for driving while under the influence of alcohol, and 2 months later, as a result of this same incident, the driver is convicted of a DWI, must the periods of disqualification be combined since these are both disq FMCSA-DQ-391.15-Q008 Driver disqualification
Question 2: Must both drivers of a team operation comply with the provisions of §392.7 before driving? FMCSA-DRV-392.7-Q002 Driver pre-trip inspection
To what extent would the windshield and/or mirrors of a vehicle have to be damaged in order for it to be considered ‘‘disabling damage’’ as used in the definition of an accident in § 390.5T? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q013 Extent of definition of “disabling damage”
Does §391.43 of the FMCSRs require that physical examinations of applicants for employment be conducted by medical examiners employed by or designated by the carrier? FMCSA-MED-391.43-Q4 Driver Physical Qualification Examination
Why does §382.307(b) allow an employer to use indicators of chronic and withdrawal effects of controlled substances in the observations to conduct a controlled substances reasonable suspicion test, but does not allow similar effects of alcohol use to be u FMCSA-D&A-382.307-Q02 Drug & Alcohol Testing – Reasonable Suspicion
Is it permissible to make random selections by terminals? FMCSA-D&A-382.305-Q07 Guidance on making random selection be terminals