[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20881-20882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8387]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2012-0087]


Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of Directors; Request for 
Nominations

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice: Request for Nominations from the Motor Carrier Industry 
to the Board of Directors.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA solicits nominations and applications for appointment to 
the Board of Directors of the Unified Carrier Registration Plan (UCR 
Plan) of interested persons to serve as representatives of the motor 
carrier industry. The Agency will appoint five members from the motor 
carrier industry. The UCR Plan is responsible for the administration of 
the UCR Agreement. The UCR Agreement governs the registration and the 
collection and distribution of fees paid by for-hire and private motor 
carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. The UCR 
Plan and Agreement replaced the Single State Registration System 
(SSRS), which was repealed as of January 1, 2008.

DATES: Nominations or expressions of interest for appointment to the 
Board of Directors must be received on or before May 7, 2012.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to this notice, identified by docket 
number FMCSA-2012-0087, by any of the following methods--Internet, 
facsimile, regular mail, or hand-delivery.
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) 
Web site at http://www.regulations.gov. The FDMS is the preferred 
method for submitting comments, and we urge you to use it. In the 
``Comment'' or ``Submission'' section, type Docket ID Number ``FMCSA-
2012-0087'', select ``Go'', and then click on ``Send a Comment or 
Submission.'' You will receive a tracking number when you submit a 
comment.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail, Courier, or Hand-Deliver: U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Docket Operations (M-30), West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Docket: Comments and material received from the public, as well as 
background information and documents mentioned in this preamble, are 
part of docket FMCSA-2012-0087, and are available for inspection and 
copying on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. You may also 
view and copy documents at the U.S. Department of Transportation's 
Docket Operations Unit, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC.
    Privacy Act: Anyone may search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or of the person signing the comment, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review DOT's Privacy Act Statement for the Federal Docket 
Management System published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2008 
(73 FR 3316), or you may visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-785.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jose M. Rodriguez, Office of 
Research and Information Technology, (202) 366-3517, FMCSA, Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590 or by 
email at: [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing the 
docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, 
telephone 202-366-9826.

Background

    Section 4305(b) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient

[[Page 20882]]

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) [Pub. L. 
109-59, 119 Stat. 1144, August 10, 2005] enacted 49 U.S.C. 14504a 
entitled ``Unified carrier registration system plan and agreement.'' 
Under the UCR Agreement, motor carriers, motor private carriers, 
brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies that are involved in 
interstate transportation register and pay certain fees. The UCR Plan's 
Board of Directors must issue rules and regulations to govern the UCR 
Agreement. Section 14504a(a)(9) defines the Unified Carrier 
Registration Plan as the organization of State, Federal, and industry 
representatives responsible for developing, implementing, and 
administering the UCR Agreement. Section 14504a(d)(1)(B) directed the 
Secretary to establish a Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of 
Directors made up of 15 members from FMCSA, State governments, and the 
motor carrier industry. The Board also must recommend initial annual 
fees to be assessed against carriers, leasing companies, brokers, and 
freight forwarders under the UCRA, as well as any annual adjustments to 
those fees. Section 14504a(d)(1)(B) provides that the UCR Plan's Board 
of Directors must consist of directors appointed by the Secretary as 
follows:
    Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: One director must be 
selected from each of the FMCSA 4 service areas (as defined by FMCSA on 
January 1, 2005) from among the chief administrative officers of the 
State agencies responsible for overseeing the administration of the UCR 
Agreement.
    State Agencies: The five directors selected to represent State 
agencies must be from among the professional staffs of State agencies 
responsible for overseeing the administration of the UCR Agreement. 
Nominees for these five directorships must be submitted to the 
Secretary by the national association of professional employees of the 
State agencies responsible for overseeing the administration of the UCR 
Agreement in their respective States.
    Motor Carrier Industry: Five directors must be from the motor 
carrier industry. At least one of the five motor carrier industry 
directors must be from ``a national trade association representing the 
general motor carrier of property industry'' and one of them must be 
from ``a motor carrier that falls within the smallest fleet fee 
bracket.''
    U.S. Department of Transportation (the Department): One individual, 
either the FMCSA Deputy Administrator or such other Presidential 
appointee from the Department appointed by the Secretary, represents 
the Department.
    The establishment of the Board was announced in the Federal 
Register on May 12, 2006 (71 FR 27777). In that notice, the Agency 
recognized the American Trucking Associations, Inc. (ATA) as the 
national trade association representing the general motor carrier of 
property industry. ATA is a national affiliation of State trucking 
organizations representing the national, State and local interests of 
the 50 affiliated State trucking associations; and the interests of 
specialized areas of the trucking industry through conferences and 
councils. The Agency selected the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers 
Association (OOIDA) as the organization from which to appoint an 
individual to represent motor carriers comprising the smallest fleet 
fee bracket. OOIDA is a national trade association representing the 
interests of small trucking companies and drivers.
    Each of the five current directors from the motor carrier industry 
serves a term of 3 years that will expire on May 31, 2012. These 
directors may continue to serve until their replacements are appointed; 
each of them may be reappointed (49 U.S.C. 14504a(d)(1)(D)(iii) and 
(iv)). Today's publication serves as a notice requesting nominations 
for and public comment on possible appointment of the five members of 
the motor carrier industry in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 14504a(d).

Board Member Nominations

    FMCSA seeks either nominations of, or expressions of interest from, 
individuals to serve as members of the board of directors for the UCR 
Plan from the motor carrier industry. Nominations or expressions of 
interest should indicate that the person nominated or recommended meets 
the statutory requirements specified in 49 U.S.C. 14504a(d)(1)(B)(iii). 
Nominations or expressions of interest must be transmitted by means of 
the procedures for comments specified earlier in this notice. FMCSA and 
the Department will make the appointments for the five members from the 
motor carrier industry for three-year terms, expiring on May 31, 2015. 
FMCSA and the Department will consider the objectives specified in the 
statute for the UCR Plan and Agreement when making the appointments.

    Issued on: March 29, 2012.
Kelly Leone,
Associate Administrator, Research and Information Technology.
[FR Doc. 2012-8387 Filed 4-5-12; 8:45 am]
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