Washington, DC – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the long-awaited proposed revision of the “Lease and Interchange of Vehicles: Motor Carriers of Passengers” final rule. The newly proposed language lines up with the policy priorities of the United Motorcoach Association as it would remove a duplicative and burdensome regulation that yielded no benefits to the traveling public.
“Although the proposed revision was a long time coming,” said UMA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner, “Initially, we are very pleased with the proposed language and we thank Administrator Martinez and the FMCSA team for listening to our concerns and proposed solutions.”
The original final rule compelled operators to enter into mandatory lease arrangements when chartering or subcontracting the services of another carrier. The contracting carrier would be responsible for inspection violations and insurance despite the fact both companies had separate operating authority and insurance.
The proposed revision states: “FMCSA proposes changes that would reduce the number of required leases because authorized carriers would not be subject to this proposed rule when using vehicles or acquiring transportation services from other authorized carriers.
UMA members are encouraged to review the proposed revisions and comment. Comments must be received by November 19, 2018.
