Today, December 16, 2009, is the start date for compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s New Entrant Safety Assurance Program which became effective on February 17, 2009.

FMCSA has amended the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program regulations to raise the standard of compliance for passing the new entrant safety audit. The Agency identifies 16 regulations that are essential elements of basic safety management controls necessary to operate in interstate commerce and makes a motor carrier's failure to comply with any one of the 16 regulations an automatic failure of the safety audit. These regulations cover controlled substances and alcohol testing, hours-of-service rules, driver qualifications, vehicle condition and carrier insurance responsibility. Additionally, if certain violations are discovered during a roadside inspection, the new entrant now will be subject to expedited actions to correct these deficiencies.

FMCSA will also check compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain household goods-related requirements in the new entrant safety audit, if they apply to the new entrant's operation.

FMCSA believes this rule will improve the Agency's ability to identify at-risk new entrant carriers and ensure deficiencies in basic safety management controls are corrected before the new entrant is granted permanent registration. The emphasis is all about having safe trucks operating out on the roadways.

Complete information on the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program rule is available on the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov <http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/> .