Collapse to view only § 385.15 - Administrative review.
- § 385.1 - Purpose and scope.
- § 385.3 - Definitions and acronyms.
- § 385.4 - Matter incorporated by reference.
- § 385.5 - Safety fitness standard.
- § 385.7 - Factors to be considered in determining a safety rating.
- § 385.9 - Determination of a safety rating.
- § 385.11 - Notification of safety fitness determination.
- § 385.13 - Unsatisfactory rated motor carriers; prohibition on transportation; ineligibility for Federal contracts.
- § 385.14 - Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders delinquent in paying civil penalties: prohibition on transportation.
- § 385.15 - Administrative review.
- § 385.17 - Change to safety rating based upon corrective actions.
- § 385.19 - Safety fitness information.
- § 385.21 - Separation of functions.
§ 385.1 - Purpose and scope.
(a) This part establishes the FMCSA's procedures to determine the safety fitness of motor carriers, to assign safety ratings, to direct motor carriers to take remedial action when required, and to prohibit motor carriers receiving a safety rating of “unsatisfactory” from operating a CMV.
(b) This part establishes the safety assurance program for a new entrant motor carrier initially seeking to register with FMCSA to conduct interstate operations. It also describes the consequences that will occur if the new entrant fails to maintain adequate basic safety management controls.
(c) This part establishes the safety permit program for a motor carrier to transport the types and quantities of hazardous materials listed in § 385.403.
(d) The provisions of this part apply to all motor carriers subject to the requirements of this subchapter, except non-business private motor carriers of passengers.
(e) Subpart F of this part establishes procedures to perform a roadability review of intermodal equipment providers to determine their compliance with the applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).
§ 385.3 - Definitions and acronyms.
Applicable safety regulations or requirements means 49 CFR chapter III, subchapter B—Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations or, if the carrier is an intrastate motor carrier subject to the hazardous materials safety permit requirements in subpart E of this part, the equivalent State standards; and 49 CFR chapter I, subchapter C—Hazardous Materials Regulations.
CMV means a commercial motor vehicle as defined in § 390.5 of this subchapter.
Commercial motor vehicle shall have the same meaning as described in § 390.5 of this subchapter, except that this definition will also apply to intrastate motor vehicles subject to the hazardous materials safety permit requirements of subpart E of this part.
FMCSA means the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
FMCSRs mean Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR parts 350-399).
HMRs means the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR parts 171-180).
Motor carrier operations in commerce means commercial motor vehicle transportation operations either—
(1) In interstate commerce, or
(2) Affecting interstate commerce.
New entrant is a motor carrier not domiciled in Mexico that applies for a United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identification number in order to initiate operations in interstate commerce.
New entrant registration is the registration (US DOT number) granted a new entrant before it can begin interstate operations in an 18-month monitoring period. A safety audit must be performed on a new entrant's operations within 12 months after receipt of its US DOT number for motor carriers of property and 120 days for motor carriers of passengers, and it must be found to have adequate basic safety management controls to continue operating in interstate commerce at the end of the 18-month period.
PHMSA means Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Preventable accident on the part of a motor carrier means an accident (1) that involved a commercial motor vehicle, and (2) that could have been averted but for an act, or failure to act, by the motor carrier or the driver.
Reviews. For the purposes of this part:
(1) Compliance review means an examination of motor carrier operations, such as drivers' hours of service, maintenance and inspection, driver qualification, commercial driver's license requirements, financial responsibility, accidents, hazardous materials, and other safety and transportation records to determine whether a motor carrier meets the safety fitness standard in this part. A compliance review may be conducted in response to a request to change a safety rating, to investigate potential violations of safety regulations by motor carriers, or to investigate complaints or other evidence of safety violations. The compliance review may result in the initiation of an enforcement action.
(2) Safety audit means an examination of a motor carrier's operations to provide educational and technical assistance on safety and the operational requirements of the FMCSRs and applicable HMRs and to gather critical safety data needed to make an assessment of the carrier's safety performance and basic safety management controls. Safety audits do not result in safety ratings.
(3) Safety management controls means the systems, policies, programs, practices, and procedures used by a motor carrier to ensure compliance with applicable safety and hazardous materials regulations which ensure the safe movement of products and passengers through the transportation system, and to reduce the risk of highway accidents and hazardous materials incidents resulting in fatalities, injuries, and property damage.
(4) Roadability review means an examination of the intermodal equipment provider's compliance with the applicable FMCSRs.
Safety ratings. (1) Satisfactory safety rating means that a motor carrier has in place and functioning adequate safety management controls to meet the safety fitness standard prescribed in § 385.5. Safety management controls are adequate if they are appropriate for the size and type of operation of the particular motor carrier.
(2) Conditional safety rating means a motor carrier does not have adequate safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the safety fitness standard that could result in occurrences listed in § 385.5 (a) through (k).
(3) Unsatisfactory safety rating means a motor carrier does not have adequate safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the safety fitness standard which has resulted in occurrences listed in § 385.5 (a) through (k).
(4) Unrated carrier means that a safety rating has not been assigned to the motor carrier by the FMCSA.
§ 385.4 - Matter incorporated by reference.
(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the FMCSA and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact FMCSA at: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; Attention: Chief, Compliance Division at (202) 366-1812. For information on inspection at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html or email [email protected]. The material may be obtained from the source in the following paragraph of this section.
(b) Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), 99 M Street SE, Suite 1025, Washington, DC 20003, telephone (202) 998-1002, www.cvsa.org.
(1) “North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria and Level VI Inspection Procedures and Out-of-Service Criteria for Commercial Highway Vehicles Transporting Transuranics and Highway Route Controlled Quantities of Radioactive Materials as defined in 49 CFR part 173.403,” April 1, 2023; incorporation by reference approved for § 385.415(b).
(2) “Operational Policy 4: Inspector Training and Certification”, Revised April 29, 2021 (CVSA Operational Policy 4); incorporation by reference approved for § 385.207. (Also available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/certification).
§ 385.5 - Safety fitness standard.
The satisfactory safety rating is based on the degree of compliance with the safety fitness standard for motor carriers. For intrastate motor carriers subject to the hazardous materials safety permit requirements of subpart E of this part, the motor carrier must meet the equivalent State requirements. To meet the safety fitness standard, the motor carrier must demonstrate it has adequate safety management controls in place, which function effectively to ensure acceptable compliance with applicable safety requirements to reduce the risk associated with:
(a) Commercial driver's license standard violations (part 383 of this chapter),
(b) Inadequate levels of financial responsibility (part 387 of this chapter),
(c) The use of unqualified drivers (part 391 of this chapter),
(d) Improper use and driving of motor vehicles (part 392 of this chapter),
(e) Unsafe vehicles operating on the highways (part 393 of this chapter),
(f) Failure to maintain accident registers and copies of accident reports (part 390 of this chapter),
(g) The use of fatigued drivers (part 395 of this chapter),
(h) Inadequate inspection, repair, and maintenance of vehicles (part 396 of this chapter),
(i) Transportation of hazardous materials, driving and parking rule violations (part 397 of this chapter),
(j) Violation of hazardous materials regulations (parts 170-177 of this title), and
(k) Motor vehicle accidents and hazardous materials incidents.
§ 385.7 - Factors to be considered in determining a safety rating.
The factors to be considered in determining the safety fitness and assigning a safety rating include information from safety reviews, compliance reviews and any other data. The factors may include all or some of the following:
(a) Adequacy of safety management controls. The adequacy of controls may be questioned if their degree of formalization, automation, etc., is found to be substantially below the norm for similar carriers. Violations, accidents or incidents substantially above the norm for similar carriers will be strong evidence that management controls are either inadequate or not functioning properly.
(b) Frequency and severity of regulatory violations.
(c) Frequency and severity of driver/vehicle regulatory violations identified during roadside inspections of motor carrier operations in commerce and, if the motor carrier operates in the United States, of operations in Canada and Mexico.
(d) Number and frequency of out-of-service driver/vehicle violations of motor carrier operations in commerce and, if the motor carrier operates in the United States, of operations in Canada and Mexico.
(e) Increase or decrease in similar types of regulatory violations discovered during safety or compliance reviews.
(f) For motor carrier operations in commerce and (if the motor carrier operates in the United States) in Canada and Mexico: Frequency of accidents; hazardous materials incidents; accident rate per million miles; indicators of preventable accidents; and whether such accidents, hazardous materials incidents, and preventable accident indicators have increased or declined over time.
(g) Number and severity of violations of CMV and motor carrier safety rules, regulations, standards, and orders that are both issued by a State, Canada, or Mexico and compatible with Federal rules, regulations, standards, and orders.
§ 385.9 - Determination of a safety rating.
(a) Following a compliance review of a motor carrier operation, the FMCSA, using the factors prescribed in § 385.7 as computed under the Safety Fitness Rating Methodology set forth in appendix B of this part, shall determine whether the present operations of the motor carrier are consistent with the safety fitness standard set forth in § 385.5, and assign a safety rating accordingly.
(b) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this part, a safety rating will be issued to a motor carrier within 30 days following the completion of a compliance review.
§ 385.11 - Notification of safety fitness determination.
(a) The FMCSA will provide a motor carrier written notice of any safety rating resulting from a compliance review as soon as practicable, but not later than 30 days after the review. The notice will take the form of a letter issued from the FMCSA's headquarters office and will include a list of FMCSR and HMR compliance deficiencies which the motor carrier must correct.
(b) If the safety rating is “satisfactory” or improves a previous “unsatisfactory” safety rating, it is final and becomes effective on the date of the notice.
(c) In all other cases, a notice of a proposed safety rating will be issued. It becomes the final safety rating after the following time periods:
(1) For motor carriers transporting hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding or transporting passengers by CMV—45 days after the date of the notice.
(2) For all other motor carriers operating CMVs—60 days after the date of the notice.
(d) A proposed safety rating of “unsatisfactory” is a notice to the motor carrier that the FMCSA has made a preliminary determination that the motor carrier is “unfit” to continue operating in interstate commerce, and that the prohibitions in § 385.13 will be imposed after 45 or 60 days if necessary safety improvements are not made.
(e) A motor carrier may request the FMCSA to perform an administrative review of a proposed or final safety rating. The process and the time limits are described in § 385.15.
(f) A motor carrier may request a change to a proposed or final safety rating based upon its corrective actions. The process and the time limits are described in § 385.17.
§ 385.13 - Unsatisfactory rated motor carriers; prohibition on transportation; ineligibility for Federal contracts.
(a) Generally, a motor carrier rated “unsatisfactory” is prohibited from operating a CMV. Information on motor carriers, including their most current safety rating, is available from the FMCSA Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System website at https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov, or by telephone at (800) 832-5660.
(1) Motor carriers transporting hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding, and motor carriers transporting passengers in a CMV, are prohibited from operating a CMV in motor carrier operations in commerce beginning on the 46th day after the date of the FMCSA notice of proposed “unsatisfactory” rating.
(2) All other motor carriers rated as a result of reviews are prohibited from operating a CMV in motor carrier operations in commerce beginning on the 61st day after the date of the FMCSA notice of proposed “unsatisfactory” rating. If FMCSA determines that the motor carrier is making a good-faith effort to improve its safety fitness, FMCSA may allow the motor carrier to operate for up to 60 additional days.
(b) A Federal agency must not use a motor carrier that holds an “unsatisfactory” rating to transport passengers in a CMV or to transport hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding.
(c) A Federal agency must not use a motor carrier for other CMV transportation if that carrier holds an “unsatisfactory” rating.
(d) Penalties. (1) If a proposed “unsatisfactory” safety rating becomes final, FMCSA will issue an order placing out of service the motor carrier's operations in commerce. The out-of-service order shall apply both to the motor carrier's operations in interstate commerce and to its operations affecting interstate commerce.
(2) If a motor carrier's intrastate operations are declared out of service by a State, FMCSA must issue an order placing out of service the carrier's operations in interstate commerce. The following conditions apply:
(i) The State that issued the intrastate out-of-service order participates in the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program and uses the FMCSA safety rating methodology provided in this part; and
(ii) The motor carrier has its principal place of business in the State that issued the out-of-service order.
(iii) The order prohibiting the motor carrier from operating a CMV in interstate commerce shall remain in effect until the State determines that the carrier is fit.
(3) Any motor carrier that operates CMVs in violation of this section is subject to the penalty provisions of 49 U.S.C. 521(b) and appendix B to part 386 of the FMCSRs.
(e) Revocation of operating authority. If a proposed “unsatisfactory” safety rating or a proposed determination of unfitness becomes final, FMCSA will, following notice, issue an order revoking the operating authority of the owner or operator. For purposes of this section, the term “operating authority” means the registration required under 49 U.S.C. 13902 and § 392.9a of this subchapter. Any motor carrier that operates CMVs after revocation of its operating authority will be subject to the penalty provisions listed in 49 U.S.C. 14901.
§ 385.14 - Motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders delinquent in paying civil penalties: prohibition on transportation.
(a) A CMV owner or operator that has failed to pay civil penalties imposed by the FMCSA, or has failed to abide by a payment plan, may be prohibited from operating CMVs in interstate commerce under 49 CFR 386.83.
(b) A broker, freight forwarder, or for-hire motor carrier that has failed to pay civil penalties imposed by the FMCSA, or has failed to abide by a payment plan, may be prohibited from operating in interstate commerce, and its registration may be suspended under the provisions of 49 CFR 386.84.
§ 385.15 - Administrative review.
(a) A motor carrier may request FMCSA to conduct an administrative review if it believes FMCSA has committed an error in assigning its proposed or final safety rating in accordance with § 385.11.
(b) The motor carrier's request must explain the error it believes the FMCSA committed in issuing the safety rating. The motor carrier must include a list of all factual and procedural issues in dispute, and any information or documents that support its argument.
(c) The motor carrier must submit its request in writing to the Assistant Administrator, ATTN: Adjudications Counsel, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(1) If a motor carrier has received a notice of a proposed “unsatisfactory” safety rating, it should submit its request within 15 days from the date of the notice. This time frame will allow the FMCSA to issue a written decision before the prohibitions outlined in § 385.13 (a)(1) and (2) take effect. Failure to petition within this 15-day period may prevent the FMCSA from issuing a final decision before such prohibitions take effect.
(2) A motor carrier must make a request for an administrative review within 90 days of the date of the proposed safety rating issued under § 385.11 (c) or a final safety rating issued under § 385.11 (b), or within 90 days after denial of a request for a change in rating under § 385.17(i).
(d) The FMCSA may ask the motor carrier to submit additional data and attend a conference to discuss the safety rating. If the motor carrier does not provide the information requested, or does not attend the conference, the FMCSA may dismiss its request for review.
(e) The FMCSA will notify the motor carrier in writing of its decision following the administrative review. The FMCSA will complete its review:
(1) Within 30 days after receiving a request from a hazardous materials or passenger motor carrier that has received a proposed or final “unsatisfactory” safety rating.
(2) Within 45 days after receiving a request from any other motor carrier that has received a proposed or final “unsatisfactory” safety rating.
(f) The decision constitutes final agency action.
(g) Any motor carrier may request a rating change under the provisions of § 385.17.
§ 385.17 - Change to safety rating based upon corrective actions.
(a) A motor carrier that has taken action to correct the deficiencies that resulted in a proposed or final rating of “conditional” or “unsatisfactory” may request a rating change at any time.
(b) A motor carrier must make this request in writing to the FMCSA Service Center for the geographic area where the carrier maintains its principal place of business. The addresses and geographical boundaries of the Service Centers are listed in § 390.27 of this chapter.
(c) The motor carrier must base its request upon evidence that it has taken corrective actions and that its operations currently meet the safety standard and factors specified in §§ 385.5 and 385.7. The request must include a written description of corrective actions taken, and other documentation the carrier wishes the FMCSA to consider.
(d) The FMCSA will make a final determination on the request for change based upon the documentation the motor carrier submits, and any additional relevant information.
(e) The FMCSA will perform reviews of requests made by motor carriers with a proposed or final “unsatisfactory” safety rating in the following time periods after the motor carrier's request:
(1) Within 30 days for motor carriers transporting passengers in CMVs or placardable quantities of hazardous materials.
(2) Within 45 days for all other motor carriers.
(f) The filing of a request for change to a proposed or final safety rating under this section does not stay the 45-day period specified in § 385.13(a)(1) for motor carriers transporting passengers or hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding.
(g) FMCSA may allow a motor carrier (except a motor carrier transporting passengers or a motor carrier transporting hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding) with a proposed rating of “unsatisfactory” to continue its motor carrier operations in commerce for up to 60 days beyond the 60 days specified in the proposed rating, if FMCSA determines that the motor carrier is making a good faith effort to improve its safety status. This additional period would begin on the 61st day after the date of the notice of proposed “unsatisfactory” rating.
(h) If the FMCSA determines that the motor carrier has taken the corrective actions required and that its operations currently meet the safety standard and factors specified in §§ 385.5 and 385.7, the agency will notify the motor carrier in writing of its upgraded safety rating.
(i) If the FMCSA determines that the motor carrier has not taken all the corrective actions required, or that its operations still fail to meet the safety standard and factors specified in §§ 385.5 and 385.7, the agency will notify the motor carrier in writing.
(j) Any motor carrier whose request for change is denied in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section may request administrative review under the procedures of § 385.15. The motor carrier must make the request within 90 days of the denial of the request for a rating change. If the proposed rating has become final, it shall remain in effect during the period of any administrative review.
§ 385.19 - Safety fitness information.
(a) Final ratings will be made available to other Federal and State agencies in writing, telephonically or by remote computer access.
(b) The final safety rating assigned to a motor carrier will be made available to the public upon request. Any person requesting the assigned rating of a motor carrier shall provide the FMCSA with the motor carrier's name, principal office address, and, if known, the USDOT number or the docket number, if any.
(c) Requests should be addressed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Registration and Safety Information (MC-RS), 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. The information also can be found on the FMCSA Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System website at https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
(d) Oral requests by telephone to (800) 832-5660 will be given an oral response.
§ 385.21 - Separation of functions.
(a) An Agency employee engaged in the performance of investigative, advocacy, or prosecutorial functions in a proceeding under § 385.15, § 385.113, § 385.327, § 385.423, § 385.711, § 385.911(e), § 385.913(e), § 385.1009(d), or § 385.1011(d) may not, in that case or a factually-related case, discuss or communicate the facts or issues involved with, or otherwise advise or assist, the Agency decisionmaker or personnel advising the Agency decisionmaker, except as counsel or a witness in a public proceeding, or if the same facts and information are provided to all the parties involved in the matter. The prohibition in this paragraph (a) also includes the staff of those covered by this section.
(b) As used in this section, decisionmaker means the FMCSA official authorized to issue a final decision in the applicable proceeding listed in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Nothing in this part shall preclude Agency decisionmakers or anyone advising an Agency decision-maker from taking part in a determination to launch an investigation or issue a complaint, or similar preliminary decision.