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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
How must a driver record time spent on-call awaiting dispatch? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q20 Hours of Service Definitions
§ 393.42(b)(3) of the FMCSRs states that any full trailer, any semitrailer, or any pole trailer having a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or less must be equipped with brakes FMCSA-VEH-393.42-Q03 Must manufacturer install brakes on certain lightweight trailers?
A driver drives on streets and highways during the week and jockeys commercial motor vehicles in the yard (private property) on weekends. How is the yard time to be recorded? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q09 Hours of Service
On multiple drive shaft buses, does § 393.89 require that all segments of the drive shaft be protected no matter the segments’ length? FMCSA-VEH-393.89-Q02 Protection for multiple drive shafts on buses
Question 2: May the due date for the next inspection satisfy the requirements for the inspection date on the sticker or decal? FMCSA-VM-396.17-Q02.cm Inspection date on decal vs. next periodic inspection date
If an inter modal container is attached to a chassis at the time of a periodic inspection, must the container also be inspected to comply with § 396.17 inspection requirements? FMCSA-VM-396.17-Q13.cm Musts container on intermodal chassis be inspected during periodic inspection?
Question 1: Does a CDL with an airbrake endorsement qualify a person as a brake inspector under § 396.25? FMCSA-VM-396.25-Q01.cm CDL air brake endorsement as qualification for brake inspector
Question 2: Is it the intent of § 396.9 to allow "out of service" vehicles to be towed? FMCSA-VM-396.9-Q002 Vehicle inspections
Does the definition of a ‘‘commercial motor vehicle’’ in § 390.5T of the FMCSRs include parking lot and/or street sweeping vehicles? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q015 Street-sweeping machines as CMVs
May a motor carrier that employs owner-operators who have their own operating authority issued by the ICC or the Surface Transportation Board transfer the responsibility for compliance with the FMCSRs to the owner-operators? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q017 Carrier responsibility for owner-operator compliance with FMCSRs T