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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
Question 2: Does §382.601 require employers to provide educational materials and policies and procedures to drivers after the initial distribution of required educational materials? FMCSA-D&A-382.601-Q02 Drug & Alcohol Testing – Educational Materials on Alcohol Misuse and Controlled Substances Use
May the time a driver spends attending safety meetings, ceremonies, celebrations, or other company-sponsored safety events be recorded as off-duty time? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q19 Hours of Service Definitions
May a bus being operated by a for-hire motor carrier of passengers, under contract with a governmental agency to provide transportation of prisoners in interstate commerce, be allowed to operate with security bars covering the emergency push-out windows a FMCSA-VEH-393.62-Q01 May buses for prisoners block the emergency push-out windows?
Driver vehicle inspection report FMCSA-VM-396.11-Q015 Driver vehicle inspection report
If a driver’s record of duty status is not signed, may enforcement action be taken on the current day’s record if it contains false information? FMCSA-HOS-395.3-Q03 Hours of Service Maximum Driving Time
Does the GVWR apply to the power unit only? FMCSA-INS-387.3-Q002 Calculation of GVWR
Question 1: Under what conditions may a vehicle that has been placed ‘‘out of service’’ under § 396.3 be moved? FMCSA-VM-396.9-Q001 Vehicle inspections
Is the tillerman who controls the steerable rear axle of a vehicle so equipped a driver subject to the FMCSRs while operating in interstate commerce? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q014 Applicability of FMCSRs to tillermen
§391.21(b)(11) requires that an application for employment contain 10 years of prior employment information on the driver. FMCSA-DQ-391.21-Q003 391.21, application, driver application, employment history, Mexico, Mexican driver, Canada, Canadian Driver Licencia Federal
Question 3: How may the motor carrier determine safe loading when a shipper has loaded and sealed the trailer? FMCSA-DRV-392.9-Q003 Inspection of cargo and cargo securement