The driver coercion prevention rule bouncing around the regulatory circuit could be published this month, according to a Department of Transportation rulemaking update released this week.
The DOT projected the rule to clear the White House’s Office of Management and Budget April 14, but the rule is still being reviewed by the OMB.
The DOT projects in its report the rule will be published April 23, but given the delay in OMB clearance, it likely will be delayed slightly.
The rule would create a requirement that the agency “consider whether coercion of drivers” by shippers, receivers, carriers or brokers “is a concern when developing a rule.” It would have a 60-day public comment period following its publication.
DOT also projects action soon on the carrier Safety Fitness Determination rule and the rule mandating speed limiters in trucks, with the former projected to be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation May 6 and then onto the OMB June 6 and the latter sent to OST May 21 and OMB June 26.
The Safety Fitness Determination rule would allow the agency to use a similar data set it uses for its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program’s Safety Measurement System rankings to produce a score for carriers it could then use to target unsafe carriers for intervention.
