General Qualifications of Drivers: Small Business in Transportation Coalition; Application for Exemption

FMCSA announces its decision to deny the Small Business in Transportation Coalition's (SBTC) request for an exemption from the requirement that motor carriers not permit a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) unless the driver is capable of reading and speaking the English language sufficiently to communicate with the public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records drivers. SBTC requests the exemption on behalf of all motor carriers in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) category 484230 (Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance) with revenues under $30 million. FMCSA analyzed the exemption application and public comments, and determined that the application lacked evidence that would ensure an equivalent level of safety or greater would be achieved absent such exemption.