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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
Does a frame channel of a CMV constitute a protective ‘‘sheath or tube’’ as specified in §393.28? FMCSA-VEH-393.28-Q01 Frame channel as protective “sheath or tube”
Must all trailers be equipped with overload protective devices? FMCSA-VEH-393.28-Q02 Overload protective devices for trailers
May a system such as ‘‘driveline brakes’’ be used as an emergency brake provided it complies with the requirements of § 393.52? FMCSA-VEH-393.40-Q01 “Driveline brake” as emergency brakes
May the ‘‘park’’ position of a CMV’s transmission be used as a parking brake to comply with the § 393.41? FMCSA-VEH-393.41-Q01 “Park” position as parking brake
May a driver record sleeper berth time as off-duty time on line one of the record of duty status? FMCSA-HOS-395.1-Q26 Hours of Service Exceptions
May the driver combine the two sleeper berth periods to meet the required 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time per §395.1(g), then drive for up to 11 more hours? FMCSA-HOS-395.1-Q27 Hours of Service Exceptions
Is it a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) from the last stop to home and not show that time on the time cards? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q01 Hours of Service Definitions
Is the driver required to record meal and other routine stops as off-duty time, or is it the driver’s decision whether such time is recorded as off-duty? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q03 Hours of Service Definitions
Is the driver allowed to record his stops during a tour of duty as off-duty time when the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is laden with HM and the CMV is parked in a truck stop parking lot? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q04 Hours of Service Definitions
Do telephone calls to or from the motor carrier that momentarily interrupt a driver’s rest period constitute a change of the driver’s duty status? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q05 Hours of Service Definitions