The FMCSA has released a notice that contradicts industry rumors of a driver shortage. The notice requests comments on the agency’s increase in the estimates of the total number of commercial motor vehicle drivers and the frequency of their hiring since the agency collected the information back in 2016. The FMCSA now estimates that there are 6.89 million drivers who work approximately 12.26 million hours per year, an increase from 5.2 million drivers working 10.21 million hours. According to the agency, this increase is the result of a larger driver population and a higher turnover rate. The increase will also affect the volume of documentation produced and filed in driver qualification files.
The FMCSA published a Federal Register notice allowing for a 60-day comment period on the estimate increases. All comments should reference Federal Docket Management System Docket Number FMCSA-2019-0102. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to the attention of the Desk Officer, Department of Transportation/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and sent via electronic mail to oira_submission@omb.eop.gov, faxed to (202) 395-6974, or mailed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503.
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