[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24587-24589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11409]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-1999-5578; FMCSA-2001-10578; FMCSA-2002-12844; FMCSA-
2003-14223; FMCSA-2003-16564; FMCSA-2005-21711; FMCSA-2005-22194; 
FMCSA-2005-22727; FMCSA-2005-23099; FMCSA-2006-24783; FMCSA-2007-0017; 
FMCSA-2007-0071; FMCSA-2007-27897; FMCSA-2009-0291; FMCSA-2009-0303; 
FMCSA-2011-0140; FMCSA-2011-0141; FMCSA-2011-0325; FMCSA-2011-0365; 
FMCSA-2011-0366; FMCSA-2013-0168; FMCSA-2013-0169; FMCSA-2013-0170; 
FMCSA-2013-0174; FMCSA-2015-0053; FMCSA-2015-0055; FMCSA-2015-0056; 
FMCSA-2015-0070; FMCSA-2015-0072; FMCSA-2015-0344; FMCSA-2015-0345; 
FMCSA-2015-0347; FMCSA-2015-0348]


Qualification of Drivers; Exemption Applications; Vision

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

ACTION: Notice of final disposition.

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SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 85 
individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle 
(CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these individuals to continue to 
operate CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision 
requirement in one eye.

DATES: Each group of renewed exemptions were applicable on the dates 
stated in the discussions below and will expire on the dates stated in 
the discussions below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Christine A. Hydock, Chief, 
Medical Programs Division, 202-366-4001, [email protected], FMCSA, 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W64-224, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you have 
questions regarding viewing or submitting material to the docket, 
contact Docket Services, telephone (202) 366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Electronic Access

    You may see all the comments online through the Federal Document 
Management System (FDMS) at: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov and/or Room W12-140 on the 
ground level of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue

[[Page 24588]]

SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits 
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT 
posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information 
the commenter provides, to http://www.regulations.gov, as described in 
the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed 
at http://www.dot.gov/privacy.

II. Background

    On February 15, 2018, FMCSA published a notice announcing its 
decision to renew exemptions for 85 individuals from the vision 
requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) to operate a CMV in interstate 
commerce and requested comments from the public (83 FR 6919). The 
public comment period ended on March 19, 2018, and no comments were 
received.
    As stated in the previous notice, FMCSA has evaluated the 
eligibility of these applicants and determined that renewing these 
exemptions would achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater 
than the level that would be achieved by complying with the current 
regulation 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10).
    The physical qualification standard for drivers regarding vision 
found in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) states that a person is physically 
qualified to drive a CMV if that person has distant visual acuity of at 
least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual 
acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with 
corrective lenses, distant binocular acuity of a least 20/40 (Snellen) 
in both eyes with or without corrective lenses, field of vision of at 
least 70[deg] in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and the ability 
to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing red, 
green, and amber.

III. Discussion of Comments

    FMCSA received no comments in this preceding.

IV. Conclusion

    Based upon its evaluation of the 85 renewal exemption applications 
and comments received, FMCSA confirms its' decision to exempt the 
following driver from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41 (b)(10):
    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, the following 
groups of drivers received renewed exemptions in the month of March and 
are discussed below:

    As of March 2, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following 49 individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (64 FR 27027; 64 FR 51568; 66 FR 
48504; 66 FR 53826; 66 FR 66966; 68 FR 10301; 68 FR 19596; 68 FR 54775; 
68 FR 69434; 70 FR 25878; 70 FR 48797; 70 FR 48798; 70 FR 48799; 70 FR 
48800; 70 FR 53412; 70 FR 57353; 70 FR 71884; 70 FR 72689; 70 FR 74102; 
71 FR 4632; 71 FR 32183; 71 FR 41310; 72 FR 32705; 72 FR 46261; 72 FR 
54972; 72 FR 62896; 72 FR 67340; 73 FR 1395; 73 FR 5259; 73 FR 6246; 73 
FR 60398; 74 FR 26464; 74 FR 43222; 74 FR 53581; 74 FR 60021; 74 FR 
60022; 74 FR 65842; 74 FR 65845; 75 FR 1450; 75 FR 1451; 75 FR 4623; 75 
FR 9482; 76 FR 34135; 76 FR 37169; 76 FR 50318; 76 FR 53710; 76 FR 
64171; 76 FR 75942; 76 FR 75943; 76 FR 78728; 77 FR 539; 77 FR 543; 77 
FR 545; 77 FR 3554; 77 FR 10604; 77 FR 10608; 78 FR 63302; 78 FR 64274; 
78 FR 67452; 78 FR 67454; 78 FR 68137; 78 FR 76704; 78 FR 76705; 78 FR 
76707; 78 FR 77778; 78 FR 77780; 78 FR 77782; 78 FR 78475; 78 FR 78477; 
79 FR 3919; 79 FR 4531; 79 FR 4803; 79 FR 6993; 79 FR 10619; 80 FR 
40122; 80 FR 44188; 80 FR 59230; 80 FR 62161; 80 FR 62163; 80 FR 67476; 
80 FR 67481; 80 FR 70060; 80 FR 76345; 80 FR 79414; 80 FR 80443; 81 FR 
1284; 81 FR 1474; 81 FR 15401; 81 FR 15404; 81 FR 16265; 81 FR 20433; 
81 FR 44680; 81 FR 48493; 81 FR 60117):

John P. Bails (IA)
Garry A. Baker (OH)
Howard D. Barton (IN)
Craig J. Belles (NY)
Steven A. Blinco (MT)
Cris D. Bush (TN)
Johnnie E. Byler (PA)
Stewart K. Clayton (TX)
David N. Cleveland (ME)
James J. Coffield (NM)
Richard A. Congdon, Jr. (OR)
Albion C. Doe, Sr. (NH)
Bruce J. Dowd (CT)
David E. Evans (NC)
Mark A. Farnsley (IN)
Jason L. Hoovan (UT)
Amos W. Husley (AL)
Darryl H. Johnson (WV)
Freddie H. Johnson (ID)
David B. Jones (FL)
Alfred Keehn (AZ)
Volga Kirkwood (MO)
Michael S. Maki (MN)
Kevin D. Mendoza (WA)
Ralph S. Miller (WV)
John M. Moore (PA)
Kenneth R. Murphy (WA)
Millard F. Neace, II (WV)
William E. Norris (NC)
Daniel F. Perez (CA)
Dean B. Ponte (MA)
Jack E. Potts, Jr. (PA)
Richard E. Purvenas, Jr. (DE)
Robert C. Reid (KY)
Steven S. Reinsvold (WI)
Glenn T. Riley (OH)
Migeul A. Sanchez (NM)
Donald L. Schoendienst (MO)
Tigran Semerjyan (CA)
James A. Shepard (NY)
Robert L. Simpson (NC)
John R. Snyder (WA)
Timothy R. Steckman (IL)
Warren Supulski (NC)
Dustin W. Tharp (IA)
Kirk A. Thelen (MI)
Robert E. Whitney (IL)
Reginald Wuethrich (IL)
Chadwick L. Wyatt (NC)

    The drivers were included in docket numbers FMCSA-1999-5578; FMCSA-
2001-10578; FMCSA-2003-14223; FMCSA-2005-21711; FMCSA-2005-22194; 
FMCSA-2005-22727; FMCSA-2006-24783; FMCSA-2007-0017; FMCSA-2007-27897; 
FMCSA-2009-0291; FMCSA-2009-0303; FMCSA-2011-0140; FMCSA-2011-0141; 
FMCSA-2011-0325; FMCSA-2013-0168; FMCSA-2013-0169; FMCSA-2013-0170; 
FMCSA-2015-0053; FMCSA-2015-0055; FMCSA-2015-0056; FMCSA-2015-0070; 
FMCSA-2015-0072; FMCSA-2015-0344; FMCSA-2015-0345; FMCSA-2015-0347. 
Their exemptions are applicable as of March 2, 2018, and will expire on 
March 2, 2020.
    As of March 5, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following six individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (68 FR 74699; 69 FR 10503; 70 FR 
57353; 70 FR 72689; 71 FR 6829; 73 FR 8392; 75 FR 8184; 77 FR 7233; 79 
FR 10602; 81 FR 20433):

Barton C. Caldara (WI)
Allan Darley (UT)
Richard Hailey, Jr. (DC)
Robert V. Hodges (IL)
Edward D. Pickle (GA)
James T. Worthham, Jr. (GA)

    The drivers were included in docket numbers FMCSA-2003-16564; 
FMCSA-2005-22194. Their exemptions are applicable as of March 5, 2018, 
and will expire on March 5, 2020.
    As of March 7, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following three individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (77 FR 3552; 77 FR 13691; 79 FR 
12565; 81 FR 20433): Samuel V. Holder (IL); Jake F. Richter (KS); 
Robert J. Townsley (VA).
    The drivers were included in docket number FMCSA-2011-0365. Their

[[Page 24589]]

exemptions are applicable as of March 7, 2018, and will expire on March 
7, 2020.
    As of March 10, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following nine individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (81 FR 6573; 81 FR 28136):

Thomas M. Bowman (OH)
Robert W. Fawcett (PA)
Harry J. Glynn (LA)
Cody N. McDonnell (OR)
Dennis C. Rokes (IA)
Brian W. Roughton (MO)
Steven A. Van Raalte (IL)
Marvin L. Wernimont (IA)
Brian J. Yole (TX)

    The drivers were included in docket number FMCSA-2015-0348. Their 
exemptions are applicable as of March 10, 2018, and will expire on 
March 10, 2020.
    As of March 13, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following nine individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (79 FR 1908; 79 FR 14333; 81 FR 
20433):

Norvan D. Brown (IA)
Jackie K. Curlin (KY)
Justin W. Demarchi (OH)
Jimmey C. Harris (TX)
David G. Henry (TX)
Rogelio C. Hernandez (CA)
Harold D. Pressley (TX)
Jason C. Sadler (KY)
Michael O. Thomas (NC)

    The drivers were included in docket number FMCSA-2013-0174. Their 
exemptions are applicable as of March 13, 2018, and will expire on 
March 13, 2020.
    As of March 15, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following three individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (67 FR 68719; 68 FR 2629; 70 FR 
7545; 71 FR 4194; 71 FR 13450; 72 FR 40362; 73 FR 9158; 74 FR 64124; 75 
FR 9484; 77 FR 10606; 79 FR 14328; 81 FR 20433): Gene Bartlett, Jr. 
(VT); Wayne H. Holt (UT); William B. Wilson (KY).
    The drivers were included in docket numbers FMCSA-2002-12844; 
FMCSA-2005-23099. Their exemptions are applicable as of March 15, 2018, 
and will expire on March 15, 2020.
    As of March 23, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, Glenn R. Theis (MN) has satisfied the renewal conditions for 
obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in the FMCSRs for 
interstate CMV drivers (77 FR 5874; 77 FR 17117; 79 FR 13085; 81 FR 
20433).
    The driver was included in docket number FMCSA-2011-0366. The 
exemption is applicable as of March 23, 2018, and will expire on March 
23, 2020.
    As of March 31, 2018, and in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 
31315, the following five individuals have satisfied the renewal 
conditions for obtaining an exemption from the vision requirement in 
the FMCSRs for interstate CMV drivers (73 FR 6242; 73 FR 16950; 75 FR 
9477; 77 FR 13689; 79 FR 14331; 81 FR 20433):

Gary W. Ellis (NC)
K. L. Guse (OH)
Steven W. Halsey (MO)
Thomas M. Leadbitter (PA)
Jonathan P. Lovel (IL)

    The drivers were included in docket number FMCSA-2007-0071. Their 
exemptions are applicable as of March 31, 2018, and will expire on 
March 31, 2020.
    In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31315, each exemption will be valid 
for two years from the effective date unless revoked earlier by FMCSA. 
The exemption will be revoked if the following occurs: (1) The person 
fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the exemption; (2) the 
exemption has resulted in a lower level of safety than was maintained 
prior to being granted; or (3) continuation of the exemption would not 
be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 
31315.

    Issued on: May 17, 2018.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-11409 Filed 5-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P