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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
What is the liability of a motor carrier for hours of service violations? FMCSA-HOS-395.3-Q07 Hours of Service Maximum Driving Time
Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q018 Driver vehicle inspection reports
Question 19: Who is responsible for retaining DVIRs for leased vehicles including those of owner-operators? FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q019 Driver vehicle inspection reports
Are carriers liable for the actions of their employees even though the carrier contends that it did not require or permit the violations to occur? FMCSA-HOS-395.3-Q08 Hours of Service Maximum Driving Tim
Question 20: Is a multi-day DVIR acceptable under § 396.11 and 396.13? FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q020 Driver vehicle inspection reports
uestion 21: Is a DVIR required by a motor carrier operating only one tractor trailer combination? FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q021 Driver vehicle inspection reports
May time spent in resting or sleeping in motor homes being delivered be recorded as off-duty time? FMCSA-HOS-395.3-Q09 Hours of Service Maximum Driving Time
Question 25: Section 396.11 requires the driver, at the completion of each day’s work, to prepare a written report on each vehicle operated that day. Does this section require a ‘‘post trip inspection’’ of the kind described in § 396.15? FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q025 Driver vehicle inspection reports
Question 26: Is the motor carrier official or agent who certifies that defects or deficiencies have been corrected or that correction was unnecessary required to be a mechanic or have training concerning commercial motor vehicle maintenance? FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q026 Driver vehicle inspection reports
Question 1: If a DVIR does not indicate that certain defects have been repaired, and the motor carrier has not certified in writing that such repairs were considered unnecessary, may the driver refuse to operate the motor vehicle? FMCSA-VM-396.13-Q1.cm Prohibition to operate vehicle without certification of repairs