December 4, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today that its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) will hold a public meeting on December 7-9, 2009 in Washington, DC. To obtain details on meeting location, time and teleconference information, visit the MCSAC website at http://mcsac.fmcsa.dot.gov.

The purpose of the December meeting is to start the broad effort of gathering information as the FMCSA begins the process of developing a proposal for rulemaking on hours of service requirements for commercial truck drivers.

"Our goal is to ensure that stakeholders are engaged in this rulemaking process," said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. "The FMCSA is committed to developing an hours of service rule that raises the safety bar for drivers of property-carrying commercial vehicles. The MCSAC public meeting is one of several steps our Agency will take to encourage a robust exchange of ideas and research on this critical safety issue."

The December MCSAC meetings will be followed by three public listening sessions held between January 18 and January 29, 2010. Later this month, the FMCSA will also issue a Federal Register notice soliciting data and research information the Agency might consider in drafting the forthcoming notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

The MCSAC was established in 2006 and is charged with providing advice and recommendations to the FMCSA on motor carrier safety programs and safety regulations.

For more information, please contact Jack Kostelnik, Office of Policy Plans and Regulation, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, (202) 366.5370, mcsac@dot.gov.

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