[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5853-5854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2725]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-98-5021]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
Motor Carrier Scheduling Practices and Their Influence on Driver 
Fatigue

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirement in section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the 
intention of the FHWA to request the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) to approve a new information collection related to the research 
project ``Motor Carrier Scheduling Practices and Their Influence on 
Driver Fatigue.'' This information collection will be in the form of a 
survey comprised of multiple parts designed to collect information from 
interstate motor carrier executives, dispatchers, safety directors, and 
drivers of commercial motor vehicles carrying passengers and property.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments should refer to the docket 
number that appears in the heading of this document and must be 
submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received 
will be available for examination at the above address between 10:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of comments must 
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip J. Roke, Project Manager, (202) 
366-5884, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Motor Carrier 
Research and Standards, 400 7th Street S.W., Room 3107, Washington, 
D.C. 20590. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., e.t., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: Motor Carrier Scheduling Practices and Their Influence on 
Driver Fatigue.
    Background: The Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) is endeavoring to 
develop and implement a commercial motor vehicle safety program that is 
consistent with the direction and intent of the Congress, as specified 
in the Conference Report 104-286 to accompany House Report 2002 to the 
Department of Transportation's Appropriations Bill (Public Law 104-50). 
In this Conference Report, the Congress directed the FHWA to contract 
during FY1996 with the American Trucking Associations Foundation's 
(ATAF) Transportation Research Institute (TRI), to perform applied 
research in an amount not less than $4 million to address a number of 
safety issues of concern, such as: driver fatigue and alertness; the 
application of emerging technologies to ensure safety, productivity and 
regulatory compliance; commercial driver licensing, training and 
education. Within this legislative authority, the FHWA awarded a 
cooperative agreement to the ATAF's TRI on a noncompetitive basis.
    The TRI has participated in several research partnerships with the 
FHWA's OMC designed to identify causes of commercial motor vehicle 
driver fatigue and to develop effective countermeasures. Such research 
has indicated that developing an understanding of current operational 
scheduling requirements is fundamental to any attempt to facilitate 
change toward better shift systems that take into account the needs of 
drivers, while at the same time account for the economic realities of 
their employers and their customers--shippers and receivers. Therefore, 
this study of key participants in motor carriage by TRI's subcontractor 
Iowa State University has two objectives: (1) To assess the operational 
scheduling requirements of interstate motor carriers of passengers and 
property; and (2) to identify motor carrier scheduling requirements 
that have a positive effect on safety performance.
    The research methodology employed includes the use of a 
comprehensive literature review in conjunction with first-hand 
knowledge obtained from industry focus groups. Together, the 
information, insights, and other input derived from these carefully 
selected focus groups are essential to the development of meaningful, 
comprehensive and logical survey instruments specific to motor carrier 
upper-level management, safety directors, dispatchers, and drivers of 
passengers and property. The surveying

[[Page 5854]]

by mail method of research is necessary to generate the data that 
allows the Iowa State University of Science and Technology researchers 
to determine the actual extent of various scheduling and other safety-
related practices and the operational requirements in the various 
industry segments.
    Additionally, the data generated from representative samples of the 
interstate motor carrier industry will be analyzed to develop causal 
inferences about or relationships between scheduling and related 
practices and safety performance.
    Respondents: The respondents to the planned survey will include 
selected interstate motor carrier executives, dispatchers, safety 
directors, and drivers of commercial motor vehicles carrying passengers 
and property.
    Estimated Average Burden Per Response: The estimated average burden 
per response is 19 minutes. This includes the time needed for reviewing 
the survey instructions, searching existing data sources, completing 
the appropriate survey instrument, reviewing the collection of 
information, and returning the information to the FHWA in the prepaid 
mailer.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden is 
1,225 hours. This total is based on the respective burdens that will be 
imposed on the following categories of survey respondents:

Organizational Executives; 500 entities at 7 minutes each = 3,500 
minutes
Safety Directors; 500 entities at 15 minutes each = 7,500 minutes
Dispatchers; 800 entities at 15 minutes each = 12,000 minutes
Drivers (Long Version); 1,500 entities at 29 minutes each = 43,500 
minutes
Drivers (Short Version); 500 entities at 14 minutes each = 7,000 
minutes

    Frequency: The survey will be conducted once.
    Public Comments Invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including, but not limited to: (1) The necessity and utility of the 
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
the FHWA; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.
    Electronic Access: Internet users can access all comments received 
by the U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource 
locator (URL): http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 
365 days each year. Please follow the instructions online for more 
information and help.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office Electronic Bulletin Board Service at telephone number 202-512-
1661. Internet users may reach the Federal Register's home page at 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's 
database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. Section 504.

    Issued on: January 27, 1999.
George S. Moore, Jr.,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-2725 Filed 2-4-99; 8:45 am]
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