[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56478-56479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27239]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

49 CFR Chapter III

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-98-3656]
RIN 2125-AE40


Public Meetings To Discuss Responsibilities for the Inspection, 
Repair, and Maintenance of Intermodal Container Chassis and Trailers

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public listening sessions.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary is announcing a series of public 
meetings for motor carriers, businesses that offer intermodal container 
chassis and trailers for transportation, and interested parties to 
discuss current inspection, repair, and maintenance practices in the 
intermodal transportation industry for ensuring that chassis and 
trailers are in safe and proper operating condition at all times. 
Representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA), Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the 
Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) will participate in the 
listening sessions which are intended to help the DOT broaden its 
knowledge of the safety implications of industry practices where 
terminal operators or other parties tender intermodal equipment 
(container chassis and trailers) to motor carriers. All oral comments 
will be transcribed and placed in the public docket identified at the 
beginning of this notice.

DATES:

November 2, 1999, in Seattle, Washington
November 9, 1999, in Des Plaines (Chicago), Illinois
November 15, 1999, in Jamaica (New York City), New York

ADDRESSES: See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for addresses of 
the public meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Richard H. Singer, Office of Motor 
Carrier Research and Standards, HMCS-10, (202) 366-4009, U.S. 
Department of Transportation; or Mr. Charles E. Medalen, Office of the 
Chief Counsel, HCC-20, (202) 366-1354, Federal Highway Administration, 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. [TDD number for the 
hearing impaired: 1-800-699-7828] Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 
4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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. When using the document management system (dms) website, please 
enter docket number 3656 to search for comments on this rulemaking. 
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's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (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.

Background

    The American Trucking Associations, Inc. and the ATA Intermodal 
Conference (the petitioners) filed a petition for rulemaking on March 
17, 1997, to amend 49 CFR parts 390 and 396 of the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The petitioners asked the FHWA to 
require parties that tender intermodal equipment to motor carriers to 
ensure the ``roadworthiness'' of that equipment. The petitioners argued 
that poor maintenance of intermodal equipment is a serious safety 
problem and contend that motor carriers have limited opportunity to 
maintain this equipment and other parties that do have the opportunity 
often fail to do so. The FHWA was requested to revise the FMCSRs to 
make the owner or operator of such equipment responsible for the 
roadworthiness of the vehicles it tenders to motor carriers.
    On February 17, 1999, the FHWA published an ANPRM (64 FR 7849) 
seeking information on the extent of the concerns identified by the 
petitioners, and public comments on the solution proposed by the 
petitioners, i.e., to mandate joint responsibility between the 
equipment provider and the motor carrier for maintaining this type of 
intermodal equipment. The closing date for comments was April 19, 1999.
    On April 2, 1999, the FHWA received a request from the petitioners 
to extend the comment period to allow them to collect and analyze 
certain data needed to respond to questions in the ANPRM. The 
petitioners indicated that they had been trying to develop current and 
accurate information to respond to the 14 specific questions the FHWA 
asked in the ANPRM.
    On May 5, 1999 (64 FR 24128), the FHWA granted the petitioners' 
request and extended the docket comment period to August 30, 1999, 
because of the difficulty the petitioners and others were experiencing 
in gathering and analyzing roadside inspection and maintenance data 
necessary to provide meaningful responses to questions in the ANPRM. To 
augment the information received in response to the ANPRM questions, 
the docket for this rulemaking will accept additional comments, 
proceedings transcripts, and information generated as a result of the 
listening sessions.

Purpose of the Public Meetings

    The Department of Transportation must ensure that it has considered 
all the pertinent issues that could affect any potential rulemaking 
changes. The Department has received numerous comments in response to 
its advance notice of proposed rulemaking but believes additional 
information could be obtained through public meetings.
    The public meetings will be structured as ``listening sessions'' to 
emphasize interactive discussion among the participants. 
Representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 
FHWA, FRA, and MARAD will attend the listening sessions to participate 
in a dialogue with the public on the issues associated with a potential 
rulemaking on the roadability of intermodal equipment.
    Copies of the February 17 ANPRM that include the Department's 14 
questions on intermodal equipment roadability will be made available to 
participants at each of the listening sessions. Participants also will 
be given the opportunity to submit questions that they would like to 
hear discussed by others in attendance at the listening session. It 
should be noted that these listening sessions are not public hearings, 
and participants are discouraged from simply reading prepared 
statements.
    Participants who wish to submit written comments or statements 
should submit the information to the public docket identified at the 
beginning of this notice. Comments should be mailed to: 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 preceding address between 10 a.m. and 5 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. Comments made during the

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meeting will be transcribed to preserve an accurate record of the 
discussion.

Meeting Information

November 2, 1999--Seattle, Washington

    The Seattle listening session will be held at the U.S. Coast Guard 
Integrated Support Command Seattle located at 1519 Alaskan Way South, 
Seattle, Washington 98134. The listening session facility is located in 
the Healy Training Room in Building 7 of the Pier 36 Complex. The 
listening session is scheduled to run from 9:00am until 12:00 noon; 
following a break for lunch, the afternoon portion will reconvene at 
1:30pm and conclude at 4:30pm.
    Since access to the Coast Guard base is controlled for security, 
all visitors must show government-issued photo identification (e.g., 
driver's license, local/State/Federal agency identification, etc.) and 
sign-in with the security officer located at the entrance to the base. 
There is no parking available on-site, and visitors should look for 
parking spaces along Alaskan Way and under the Highway 99 viaduct.

November 9, 1999--Des Plaines, Illinois

    The Chicago listening session will be held at the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) Great Lakes Region Headquarters at 2300 East Devon 
Avenue, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. The listening session facility is 
located in the Michigan Conference Room of the New Conference Center in 
the O'Hare Lake Office Center. The listening session is scheduled to 
run from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon; following a break for lunch, the 
afternoon portion will reconvene at 1:30pm and conclude at 4:30pm.
    Since access to the FAA facility is controlled for security, all 
visitors must show government-issued photo identification (e.g., 
driver's license, local/State/Federal agency identification, etc.), 
sign-in with the security officer located at the entrance to the 
building, and wear a visitor's badge at all times while in the 
facility. There is parking available on-site.

November 15, 1999--Jamaica, New York

    The New York City listening session will be held at the Federal 
Aviation Administration Eastern Region Headquarters at JFK 
International Airport in Jamaica, New York 11430. The listening session 
facility is located in Room 223 of Building 111, directly off the Van 
Wyck Expressway. The listening session is scheduled to run from 9:00am 
until 12:00 noon; following a break for lunch, the afternoon portion 
will reconvene at 1:30pm and conclude at 4:30 pm.
    Since access to the FAA facility is controlled for security, all 
visitors must show government-issued photo identification (e.g., 
driver's license, local/State/Federal agency identification, etc.), 
sign-in with the security officer located at the entrance to the 
building, and wear a visitor's badge at all times while in the 
facility. As parking at Building 111 is limited, public transportation 
is recommended. The Green Bus Line ``Q10'' bus stops directly in front 
of, and behind, the building. Connections to the ``Q10'' can be made 
from the New York City ``A'', ``E'', and ``F'' subway lines.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 504, 31133, 31136, and 31502; and 49 CFR 
1.48.

    Issued on October 13, 1999 at Washington, DC.
William M. Wood,
Senior Transportation Specialist, Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 99-27239 Filed 10-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P