For years, charter and tour operators have relied on “A Motor Carrier’s Guide to Improving Highway Safety” to understand Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and how to comply.
It’s been one way the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has provided education and technical assistance (ETA) to the industry.
FMCSA recently updated and renamed this important guide, making it easier to search and customize the content by presenting it as an interactive website called “The Motor Carrier Safety Planner.”
Here are three things to know about the revamped safety guide:
- While the content is available to anyone, carriers with an FMCSA Portal account have the added capability to create a customized version of the guide called “My Safety Planner”— to save chapters and forms and make highlights and notes about the content most relevant to their operations.
- One of the primary goals of the redesign was to present the information in easily understandable English. Motor carriers and drivers are responsible for knowing and complying with all applicable FMCSRs. The information on this website is intended to contribute to safer motor carrier operations and roadways.
- It is also intended to be a “living document” that will be continually enhanced. The updating and enhancements will be driven by the “Submit Feedback” button that is prominently placed at the bottom right corner of every page of the Safety Planner.
“We strongly encourage all carriers to provide feedback on the Safety Planner to help us strive for improvements that will help operators run in compliance with the safety regulations and, thereby, reduce crashes, prevent injuries and save lives,” said Duane DeBruyne, acting director for FMCSA’s Office of External Affairs.
