[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 115 (Thursday, June 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50403-50405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13020]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[Docket No. FMCSA-2024-0097]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of an Approved 
Information Collection Request: Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot 
Program

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
FMCSA announces its plan to submit the information collection request 
(ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
its review and approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests 
approval to renew an ICR titled, ``Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot 
Program.'' This ICR was previously approved under emergency procedures 
on April 4, 2024, and expires on September 30, 2024. The ICR is 
necessary for FMCSA to continue data collection under a pilot program 
which seeks to determine the safety impacts of allowing 18- to 20-year-
old commercial driver's license (CDL) holders to operate commercial 
motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. The ICR covers data 
collected on drivers and carriers participating in the pilot program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before August 12, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) Docket Number FMCSA-2024-0097 using any of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Dockets Operations, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 
Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is 
there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before 
visiting Dockets Operations.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for instructions on submitting 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Michel, Mathematical 
Statistician, Research Division, DOT, FMCSA, West Building, 6th Floor, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; 202-366-4354; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Instructions

    All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For 
detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Public 
Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading 
below.

Public Participation and Request for Comments

    If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this 
notice (FMCSA-2024-0097), indicate the specific section of this 
document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each 
suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material 
online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of 
these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing 
address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your 
document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your 
submission.
    To submit your comment online, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2024-0097/document, click on this notice, click 
``Comment,'' and type your comment into the text box on the following 
screen.
    If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them 
in an unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing.
    Comments received after the comment closing date will be included 
in the docket and will be considered to the extent practicable.

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 www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

Background

    Current regulations on driver qualifications (49 CFR part 
391.11(b)(1))

[[Page 50404]]

state that a driver must be 21 years of age or older to operate a CMV 
in interstate commerce. Currently, drivers under the age of 21 may 
operate CMVs only in intrastate commerce subject to State laws and 
regulations.
    Section 23022 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 
requires the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a commercial driver 
Apprenticeship Pilot Program. An apprentice is defined as a person 
under the age of 21 who holds a CDL. Under this program, these 
apprentices will complete two probationary periods, during which they 
may operate in interstate commerce only under the supervision of an 
experienced driver in the passenger seat. An experienced driver is 
defined in section 23022 as a driver who is not younger than 26 years 
old, has held a CDL and been employed for at least the past 2 years, 
and has at least 5 years of interstate CMV experience and meets the 
other safety criteria defined in the IIJA.
    The first probationary period must include at least 120-hours of on 
duty time, of which at least 80 hours are driving time in a CMV. To 
complete this probationary period, the employer must determine 
competency in:
    1. Interstate, city traffic, rural two-lane, and evening driving;
    2. Safety awareness;
    3. Speed and space management;
    4. Lane control;
    5. Mirror scanning;
    6. Right and left turns; and
    7. Logging and complying with rules relating to hours of service.
    The second probationary period must include at least 280 hours of 
on-duty time, including not less than 160 hours driving time in a CMV. 
To complete this probationary period, the employer must determine 
competency in:
    1. Backing and maneuvering in close quarters;
    2. Pre-trip inspections;
    3. Fueling procedures;
    4. Weighing loads, weight distribution, and sliding tandems;
    5. Coupling and uncoupling procedures; and
    6. Trip planning, truck routes, map reading, navigation, and 
permits.
    After completion of the second probationary period the apprentice 
may begin operating CMVs in interstate commerce unaccompanied by an 
experienced driver.
    In addition to data regarding successful completion of the 
probationary periods, the IIJA requires collection of data relating to 
any incident in which a participating apprentice is involved as well as 
other data relating to the safety of apprentices. Additional 
information collected will include crash data (e.g., incident reports, 
police reports, insurance reports), inspection data, citation data, 
safety event data (as recorded by all safety systems installed on 
vehicles, to include advanced driver assistance systems, automatic 
emergency braking systems, onboard monitoring systems, required 
forward-facing video systems, and optional in-cab video systems, if a 
carrier chooses to provide this data) as well as exposure data (e.g., 
record of duty status logs, on-duty time, driving time, and time spent 
away from home terminal). This data will be submitted monthly through 
participating motor carriers.
    The data collected will be used to report on the following items, 
as required by section 23022 of the IIJA:
    1. The findings and conclusions on the ability of technologies or 
training provided to apprentices as part of the pilot program to 
successfully improve safety;
    2. An analysis of the safety record of participating apprentices as 
compared to other CMV drivers;
    3. The number of drivers that discontinued participation in the 
apprenticeship program before completion;
    4. A comparison of the safety records of participating drivers 
before, during, and after each probationary period; and
    5. A comparison of each participating driver's average on-duty 
time, driving time, and time spent away from home terminal before, 
during, and after each probationary period.
    FMCSA will monitor the monthly data being reported by the motor 
carriers and will identify drivers or carriers that may pose a risk to 
public safety. While removing unsafe drivers or carriers may bias the 
dataset, it is a necessary feature for FMCSA to comply with 49 CFR 
381.505, which requires development of a monitoring plan to ensure 
adequate safeguards to protect the health and safety of pilot program 
participants and the general public. Knowing that a driver or carrier 
was removed from the pilot program for safety reasons will help FMCSA 
minimize bias in the final data analysis.
    The statutory mandate for this pilot program is contained in 
section 23022 of the IIJA. FMCSA's regulatory authority for initiation 
of a pilot program is 49 CFR 381.400. The Apprentice Pilot Program 
supports the DOT strategic goal of economic strength while maintaining 
DOT's and FMCSA's commitment to safety.
    The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Pub. L. 118-42) 
revised FMCSA's authority regarding the Safe Driver Apprenticeship 
Pilot (SDAP) Program. Section 422 of that Act states that FMCSA may not 
require the use of inward facing cameras or require a motor carrier to 
register an apprenticeship program with the Department of Labor as a 
condition for participation in the SDAP program. As such, the 
application and monthly report forms have been revised to remove those 
two elements as mandatory requirements. However, the Agency will 
continue to ask carriers whether they use inward facing cameras and 
whether they have a Registered Apprenticeship program approval number 
and will give carriers the option of providing that information. 
Therefore, FMCSA does not expect to see any change in the number of 
respondents, responses, or the overall burden of this information 
collection. In accordance with the PRA and OMB's implementing 
regulations at 5 CFR 1320.13, this information is necessary to the 
mission of the Agency and is needed prior to the ordinary time periods 
established for revision of an approved collection of information 
(found within 5 CFR 1320).
    Definitions: N/A.
    Title: Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2126-0075.
    Type of Request: Renewal of an information collection previously 
approved under emergency authority.
    Expiration Date: September 30, 2024.
    Respondents: Motor carriers; drivers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,830 total (1,600 motor carriers 
and 13,230 CMV drivers); 5,410 annually (1,000 carriers and 4,410 CMV 
drivers).
    Estimated Total Responses: 168,430 total, or 56,143 annually 
(applications: 14,830 total, or 4,943 annually; plus data collection 
for participating carriers: 153,600 total, or 51,200 annually).
    Estimated Burden per Response: 20 minutes per response for carrier, 
apprentice, and experienced driver application forms; 15 minutes per 
response for safety benchmark certifications; 60 minutes per month per 
driver for monthly driving and safety data; 90 minutes per month for 
miscellaneous data submission.
    Frequency of Response: Application (motor carrier, apprentice 
driver, and experienced driver): once; safety benchmark certifications: 
twice per apprentice driver; monthly driving and safety data: carrier 
submits monthly data on each apprentice driver; miscellaneous data 
submissions: monthly.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 169,343 hours total, or 56,448 
hours annually (motor carriers: 164,933

[[Page 50405]]

hours total, or 54,978 hours annually; drivers: 4,410 hours total, or 
1,470 hours annually).
    Frequency: Once for carrier, apprentice, and experienced driver 
application forms; twice per apprentice for safety benchmark 
certifications; monthly per number of participating drivers for driving 
and safety data; and monthly for miscellaneous monthly data.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA's functions; (2) 
the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the 
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. The Agency will summarize or include your 
comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this ICR.
    Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87.

Thomas P. Keane,
Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration.
[FR Doc. 2024-13020 Filed 6-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-EX-P