[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10050-10051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3663]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2001-8827; Notice 1]


Dan Hill & Associates, Inc.; Application for Temporary Exemption 
From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 224

    We are asking for comments on the application by Dan Hill & 
Associates, Inc. (``Dan Hill''), of Norman, Oklahoma, for an exemption 
of one year from Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 224 Rear Impact 
Protection. Dan Hill asserts that compliance would cause substantial 
economic hardship to a manufacturer that has tried in good faith to 
comply with the standard.
    We are publishing this notice of receipt of the application in 
accordance with our regulations on the subject. This action does not 
mean that we have made a judgment yet about the merits of the 
application.
    Dan Hill has been the beneficiary of temporary exemptions from 
Standard No. 224 beginning on January 26, 1998 (see 63 FR 3784 and 64 
FR 49047). The information below is based on material from Dan Hill's 
original and renewal applications of 1998 and 1999, and its most recent 
application of 2000.

Why Dan Hill Says That it Continues To Need an Exemption

    Dan Hill manufactures and sells a horizontal discharge trailer 
(``Flow Boy'') that is used in the road construction industry to 
deliver asphalt and other road building materials to the construction 
site. The Flow Boy is designed to connect with and latch onto various 
paving machines (``pavers''). The Flow Boy, with its hydraulically 
controlled horizontal discharge system, discharges hot mix asphalt at a 
controlled rate into a paver which overlays the road surface with 
asphalt material.
    Standard No. 224 requires, effective January 26, 1998, that all 
trailers with a GVWR of 4536 Kg or more, including Flow Boy trailers, 
be fitted with a rear impact guard that conforms to Standard No. 223 
Rear impact guards. Dan Hill argued that installation of the rear 
impact guard will prevent the Flow Boy from connecting to the paver. 
Thus, Flow Boy trailers will no longer be functional. Paving 
contractors will be forced to use either competitors' horizontal 
discharge trailers that comply with Standard No. 224 or standard dump 
body trucks or trailers which, according to Dan Hill, have inherent 
limitations and safety risks. In spite of

[[Page 10051]]

exemptions totaling three years, Dan Hill avers that it has been unable 
to engineer its trailers to conform and needs a further year in which 
to do so. We discuss below its efforts to conform in greater detail.

Dan Hill's Reasons Why it Believes That Compliance Would Cause it 
Substantial Economic Hardship and That it Has Tried in Good Faith 
To Comply With Standard No. 224

    Dan Hill is a small volume manufacturer. Its total production in 
the 12-month period preceding its latest petition was 151 units. In the 
absence of a further exemption, Dan Hill asserts that approximately 70 
percent of its work force would have to be laid off. If the exemption 
were not renewed, Dan Hill's gross sales would decrease by $8,313,337 
in 2001. Its cumulative net income after taxes for the fiscal years 
1998, 1999, and 2000 was $454,556, but net income has declined in 2000 
and 1999 from the year before. It projects a net loss of $291,947 for 
fiscal year 2001.
    The Federal Register notices cited above contain Dan Hill's 
arguments of its previous good faith efforts to conform with Standard 
No. 224 and form the basis of our previous grants of Dan Hill's 
petitions. Dan Hill originally asked for a year's exemption in order to 
explore the feasibility of a rear impact guard that would allow the 
Flow Boy trailer to connect to a conventional paver. It concentrated 
its efforts between 1998 and 1999 in investigating the feasibility of a 
retractable rear impact guard, which would enable Flow Boys to continue 
to connect to pavers. The company has examined the various 
alternatives: installation of a fixed rear impact guard, redesign of 
pavers, installation of a removable rear impact guard, installation of 
a retractable rear impact guard, and installation of a ``swing-up'' 
style tailgate with an attached bumper. Its latest efforts to conform, 
from September 1999 until December 2000, involve the design of a swing-
in retractable rear impact guard. A review of its design, by Tech, 
Inc., shows that this, too, is not feasible. Among other things, Tech, 
Inc., is concerned that ``the tailgate, hinges, and air cylinders will 
not meet the criteria of the Standard 224-plasticity requirement,'' and 
that ``the bumper is a potential safety hazard'' because if the gate 
were raised and ``a flagman or a trailer stager is in between the paver 
and the bumper while the gate and bumper is rising, the bumper could 
cause serious injury or death.'' A copy of Tech Inc.'s report has been 
filed in the docket as part of Dan Hill's petition. The report also 
indicates that the costs associated with this design may be cost 
prohibitive ``when trying to win business in a highly competitive, yet 
narrow marketplace.''

Dan Hill's Reasons Why it Believes That a Temporary Exemption Would 
Be in the Public Interest and Consistent With Objectives of Motor 
Vehicle Safety

    Dan Hill believes that an exemption would be in the public interest 
and consistent with traffic safety objectives because, without an 
exemption, ``within a short time, production of the trailer will cease 
entirely. Jobs will be lost and a major employer in McClain County will 
be lost. This would mean a significant loss to many people in the 
state, including shareholders, lenders, employees, families, and other 
stakeholders.'' Dan Hill's production represents less than .05% of 
trailers manufactured. The amount of time actually spent on the road is 
limited because of the need to move the asphalt to the job site before 
it hardens. Nevertheless, Dan Hill has taken recent efforts to enhance 
the conspicuity of Flow Boy trailers by: 1. adding ``High intensity 
flashing safety lights; 2. Doubling the legally required amount of 
conspicuity taping at the rear of the trailer; 3. [adding] Safety 
signage; 4. [adding] Red clearance lights that normally emit light in 
twilight or night-time conditions; and 5. Installation of a rear under-
ride protection assembly 28" above the ground and 60" in width.'' 
Finally, the location of the rear tires is such that the tires act as a 
buffer ``and reduce the likelihood of impact with the semi-trailer and 
the vehicle's windshield or interior of the vehicle significantly.''

How You May Comment on Dan Hill's Application

    If you would like to comment on Dan Hill's application, please do 
so in writing, in duplicate, referring to the docket and notice number, 
and mail to: Docket Management, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 
20590.
    We shall consider all comments received before the close of 
business on the date indicated below. Comments are available for 
examination in the docket in room PL-401 both before and after that 
date, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. To the extent possible, 
we also consider comments filed after the closing date. We will publish 
our decision on the application, pursuant to the authority indicated 
below.
    Comment closing date: March 5, 2001.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30113; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 
1.50 and 501.4.

    Issued on February 8, 2001.
Stephen R. Kratzke,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 01-3663 Filed 2-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P