Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Collaborates with Transport Canada and Others to Launch Interactive Driver Fatigue Management Tool

New Resources Geared to Help Bus and Truck Drivers
Prevent Fatigue-Related Crashes

WASHINGTON - Anne S. Ferro, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, today announced the launch of the North American Fatigue Management Program (NAFMP), a website that provides training and education on commercial bus and truck driver fatigue management.

“We can help save lives and prevent crashes on our roads by providing drivers and companies with educational tools, like those contained in the North American Fatigue Management Program website,” said Administrator Ferro. “This is another supportive resource truck and bus drivers can utilize in addition to complying with our hours-of-service rules.”

"The launch of the program is very good news," said Minister Raitt. "The collaborative work that has been done with partners will assist motor carriers and drivers in managing fatigue, and promote safety by reducing fatigue-related crashes."

The NAFMP is a voluntary, interactive web-based educational and training program developed to provide commercial truck and bus drivers and carriers with an awareness of the factors contributing to fatigue and its impact on performance and safety. It provides:

• Information on how to develop a corporate culture that facilitates reduced driver fatigue;
• Fatigue management education for drivers, drivers’ families, carrier executives and managers, shippers/receivers and dispatchers;
• Information on sleep disorders, screening and treatment;
• Driver and trip scheduling information; and,
• Information on Fatigue Management Technologies.

The program was developed by multiple partners, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Transport Canada, Alberta Employment and Immigration, Alberta Transportation, Alberta Worker’s Compensation Board, Alberta Motor Transport Association, Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec, Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, and the American Transportation Research Institute.

The NAFMP fatigue management tool does not replace or override the FMCSA or TC’s regulations on hours-of-service. FMCSA and TC-regulated commercial motor carriers and drivers continue to have a duty to know and comply with the respective FMCSA or TC hours-of-service regulations.

For more information on the North American Fatigue Management Program, please visit www.nafmp.org. Additional educational tools for commercial drivers are available on FMCSA's website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

How to Get a Commercial Driver’s License – CDL

Here is a great video if you are interested in getting your CDL. It covers all of the requirements to get your Commercial Driver’s License.

Keep the Load on the Road.

Over 78% of rollovers involve driver error. As a driver, YOU are the key component for preventing rollovers. The preview above highlights what you’ll see in the full 17 minute video.

So why do rollovers happen and what can you do to prevent them? This Cargo Tank Truck Rollover Prevention video answers those questions and more.

• You’ll see how rollovers happen, why they happen, and what you can do to avoid them.
• You’ll hear how vehicle design and loads affect rollover potential.
• You’ll learn the warning signs of unsafe behaviors and conditions that contribute to rollovers.
• And you’ll watch survivors of rollovers tell their stories.

This video will show you how to:

• Avoid sudden movements that may lead to rollovers
• Control your load in turns and on straight roadways
• Identify high risk areas on roads
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• Control speed and maintain proper “speed cushions”

These 17 minutes can save your life—and the lives of others!

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Click here to download a Fact Sheet on cargo tank rollovers.

FMCSA Declares Laredo, Texas, Trucking Company an Imminent Hazard to Public Safety, Orders Shut Down

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Laredo, Texas-based REDCO Transport, Ltd., USDOT No. 1670585, to immediately cease its trucking operations, declaring the company to be an imminent hazard to public safety. REDCO operates a fleet of 112 trucks transporting general freight.

"It is unacceptable for commercial truck and bus companies to disregard critical safety regulations that serve to protect the motoring public," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "Companies that choose to needlessly endanger innocent lives will be blocked from operating on our highways and roads. There is no higher priority than safety."

On Aug. 12, 2013, a truck operated by REDCO crashed into a van stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 20 in Louisiana. Three people, including the truck driver, were killed. Within hours of the crash, FMCSA launched an investigation into REDCO and found the company had routinely failed to ensure its drivers comply with federal hours-of-service regulations designed to prevent fatigue, including limitations on daily driving and maximum on-duty hours. The investigation further found that REDCO failed to ensure its drivers complied with controlled substances and alcohol use and testing regulations, and failed to ensure its drivers were properly qualified. In some instances, drivers were dispatched before federally required pre-employment drug test results were received.

"Blatant disregard of federal rules compromises the safety of every traveler on our roadways," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "We will continue our vigorous enforcement efforts and our close collaboration with state and local authorities to further improve roadway safety every day, every mile, everywhere."

Since the beginning of 2013, FMCSA has issued out-of-service orders to a total of 10 trucking companies and 25 bus companies. The agency has also declared seven commercial driver's license holders as imminent hazards, blocking them from operating in interstate commerce.

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2013/REDCOTransport.pdf