[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 137 (Monday, July 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38699-38701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18342]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-99-5942]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
Graduated Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Survey

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements in section 3506(c)(2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

[[Page 38700]]

this notice announces the intention of the FHWA to request the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a new information collection 
to query the motor carrier (truck and bus) industry, drivers, driver 
training schools, insurance companies, and driver licensing and law 
enforcement agencies about the need for, benefits of, potential 
acceptance of, institutional barriers and practicality of a graduated 
commercial driver licensing system and the likely improvements in 
highway safety, employment opportunities and transportation efficiency.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 17, 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 a.m. 
to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those 
desiring notification of receipt of comments must include a self-
addressed, stamped postcard or envelope.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Redmond, Transportation 
Specialist, (202) 366-4001, Driver Division, Office of Motor Carrier 
Research and Standards, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 
4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Graduated Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Survey.
    Background: Conference Report 104-286 to accompanying H.R. 2002 to 
the Department of Transportation Appropriation Bill (Pub. L. 104-50) 
directed the FHWA to contract, during FY 1996, with the American 
Trucking Associations Foundation, Inc., Transportation Research 
Institute (TRI) to perform applied research to address a number of 
highway safety issues, such as: driver fatigue and alertness; the 
application of emerging technologies to ensure safety, productivity and 
regulatory compliance; and commercial driving licensing, training and 
education. The amount allocated was to be not less than $4 million. A 
survey of industry opinion pertaining to a graduated CDL is one of 
these projects under the congressionally-mandated cooperative agreement 
with the TRI.
    Section 4019 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(Pub. L. 105-179) directed the Secretary of Transportation to identify 
the benefits and costs of a graduated CDL system as part of a review of 
the current CDL testing procedures and to identify methods to improve 
the testing and licensing standards. The trucking industry alone 
projects a need for 300,000 new and replacement drivers every year 
until the turn of the century. In addition to those newly entering the 
truck driving field, others are constantly transitioning from one type 
of commercial motor vehicle operation to another. For example, moving 
from straight trucks to combinations, from tractor-semis to doubles or 
even triples, from hauling general commodities to motor vehicles or 
even hazardous materials, moving from school buses to transit buses or 
motorcoaches, or moving back and forth between various trucks and 
buses.
    A graduated or provisional CDL program might go beyond today's CDL 
requirements to provide for safe introduction of younger drivers into 
the industry and assure the measured progression of drivers, by proper 
training and supervision, into more complex driving jobs.
    Before considering the recommendation and development of a 
provisional CDL program, it is necessary to better identify the need 
for and quantify the potential benefits and costs of such a program. 
TRI, in cooperation with representatives of all segments of the truck 
and bus industries, will survey representatives of the motor carrier 
(truck and bus) industry, drivers, driver training schools, insurance 
companies, and driver licensing and law enforcement agencies, using 
approximately 15 short response questions with the ability to add 
narrative comments, about the need for, benefits of, potential 
acceptance of, institutional barriers and practicality of a graduated 
commercial driver licensing system and the likely improvements in 
highway safety, employment opportunities and transportation efficiency. 
The questions for the written survey will be based on information 
gathered during previously conducted focus group sessions and will 
include the importance of certain elements in a graduated driver 
licensing program such as training, driving record, driving experience, 
age, testing and restrictions.
    The study data will be compiled and statistically evaluated. The 
results of the evaluation and conclusions will be presented in a final 
report which will address the potential benefits, costs and feasibility 
of implementing a graduated or provisional CDL program. The results 
will be used by the FHWA in evaluating the potential for pilot testing 
the graduated CDL concept and developing a rulemaking based on the 
results of the pilot study.
    Respondents: The respondents to the planned survey will include 
approximately 2,000 selected representatives of the motor carrier 
(truck and bus) industry, drivers, driver training schools, insurance 
companies, and driver licensing and law enforcement agencies.
    Average Burden Per Response: The estimated average burden per 
response is 15 minutes. This includes the time needed for reading the 
survey instructions, searching existing data sources, completing the 
survey instrument and returning the information by mail or transmission 
by facsimile.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden is 
500 hours.
    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 clearance of this 
information collection.

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet 
users may reach the Office of 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. For Internet users, all 
comments received will be available for examination at the universal 
source location: http://dms.dot.gov. Please follow the instructions on-
line for additional information and guidance.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 31136, 31301 et seq., and 31502; and 49 CFR 
1.48.


[[Page 38701]]


    Issued on: July 14, 1999.
Michael J. Vecchietti,
Director, Office of Information and Management Services.
[FR Doc. 99-18342 Filed 7-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P