[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48452-48453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22758]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics
[Docket No. BTS-99-5889]


Motor Carrier Financial and Operating Information; Requests for 
Exemptions From Public Release of Reports

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Class I and Class II motor carriers of property and household 
goods are required to file annual and quarterly reports with the Bureau 
of Transportation Statistics (BTS). As provided by statute, carriers 
may request that their reports be withheld from public release. BTS has 
received about 25 requests covering the 1998 annual report, many of 
which also requested an exemption from public release of the 1999 
quarterly reports. BTS invites comments on these requests.

DATES: Comments must be submitted by October 4, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments to the Docket Clerk, Docket No. BTS-
99-5889, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 
PL-401, Washington, DC 20590, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Comments should identify the docket number and be submitted in 
duplicate to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the 
Department to acknowledge receipt of their comments must submit with 
those comments a self-addressed stamped postcard on which the following 
statement is made: Comments on Docket BTS-99-5889. The Docket Clerk 
will date stamp the postcard and mail it back to the commenter.
    If you wish to file comments using the Internet, you may use the 
U.S. DOT Dockets Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov. 
Please follow the instructions online for more information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Mednick, K-1, Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590; (202) 366-8871; fax: (202) 366-3640; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

I. Electronic Access

    You can download an electronic copy of this document using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Federal Register 
Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. If you have access 
to the Internet, you can obtain an electronic copy at http://
www.bts.gov/mcs/rulemaking.htm.

II. Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 14123 and its implementing regulations at 49 CFR 
part 1420, BTS collects financial and operating information from for-
hire motor carriers of property and household goods. The data are 
collected on annual Form M, filed by Class I and Class II carriers, and 
quarterly Form QFR, filed only by Class I carriers. The data are used 
by the Department of Transportation, other federal agencies, motor 
carriers, shippers, industry analysts, labor unions, segments of the 
insurance industry, investment analysts, and the consultants and data 
vendors that support these users. Among the uses of the data are: (1) 
Developing the U.S. national accounts and preparing the quarterly 
estimates of the Gross Domestic Product, which help us better 
understand the U.S. economy and the motor carrier industry's role in 
it; (2) measuring the performance of the for-hire motor carrier 
industry and segments within it; (3) monitoring carrier safety; (4) 
benchmarking carrier performance; and (5) analyzing motor carrier 
safety and productivity.
    Generally, all data are made publicly available. A carrier can, 
however, request that its report be withheld from public release, as 
provided for by statute, 49 U.S.C. 14123(c)(2), and its implementing 
regulations, 49 CFR 1420.9. BTS will grant a request upon a proper 
showing that the carrier is not a publicly held corporation or that the 
carrier is not subject to financial reporting requirements of the 
Securities and Exchange Commission, and that the exemption is necessary 
to avoid competitive harm and to avoid the disclosure of information 
that qualifies as trade secret or privileged or confidential 
information under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4). The carrier must submit a written 
request containing supporting information. BTS must receive the request 
by the report's due date, unless it is postmarked by the due date or 
there are extenuating circumstances. Requests covering the quarterly 
reports must be received by the due date of the annual report which 
relates to the prior year.
    In accordance with our regulations, after each due date of each 
annual report BTS then publishes a notice, such as this one, in the 
Federal Register requesting comments on any requests its receives. 
After considering the requests and comments, BTS will make a decision 
to grant or deny each request no later than 90 days after the request's 
due date. While a decision is pending, BTS will not publicly release 
the report except as allowed under 49 CFR 1420.10(c).

III. Request for Comments

    BTS invites comments on the requests for exemption from public 
release it has received. These requests cover the 1998 annual report 
and some also cover the 1999 quarterly reports. The comments should be 
made within the context of the governing regulations at 49 CFR 1420.9, 
which are published in the Federal Register on March 23, 1999 (64 FR 
13916). The carriers that have pending requests that we invite your 
comments on are:


[[Page 48453]]


B. N. M. Fertilizer Transport, Inc. (MC 119019)
Bilbo Transports, Inc. (MC 134547)
Bolus Freight Systems, Inc. (MC 63838)
BT Incorporated (MC 182282)
Clarksville Refrigerated Lines, Inc. (MC 262995)
Contract Freighters, Inc. (MC 119399)
Cumberland Transportation Corp. (MC 144029)
Drug Transport, Inc. (MC 166323)
Dupre Transport, Inc. (MC 158069)
Gainey Transportation Services, Inc. (MC 182313)
Howard's Express, Inc. (MC 97006)
Leprino Transportation Company (MC 150255)
Lester Coggins Trucking, Inc. (MC 140484)
Melton Truck Lines, Inc. (MC 100666)
NSG Transport, Inc. (MC 222180)
Puget Sound Truck Lines, Inc. (MC 85255)
Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc. (MC 143594)
Schneider National Carriers, Inc. (MC 133655)
Schneider Specialized Carriers, Inc. (MC 113855)
Schneider Tank Lines, Inc. (MC 110988)
Schneider Transport, Inc. (MC 51146)
Trans American Trucking Service, Inc. (MC 149576)
Truckers Express, Inc. (MC 160919)
Umthun Trucking Co. (MC 124813)

    If you wish to read the exemption requests and the comments that 
were submitted in response to this Notice, use the DOT Dockets 
Management System. This is located at the Department of Transportation, 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590, and is open 
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 
Internet users can access the Dockets Management System at http://
dms.dot.gov. Please follow the instructions online for more information 
and help.
    You must also use the Dockets Management System if you wish to 
comment on one or more exemption requests. Please follow the 
instructions listed above under ADDRESSES.
Ashish Sen,
Director.
[FR Doc. 99-22758 Filed 9-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-FE-P