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Without a doubt, 2018 was a banner year for trucking and almost every other form of freight transportation. Business investment took off, hiring picked up and freight volume soared with both domestic and international shipments sharing in the bounty.

Federal trucking regulators have issued a request for comments on the role that vehicle maintenance plays in motor carrier safety. The responses will be included in research that will use online surveys to obtain data to address the study’s objectives.

An Illinois truck driver has filed a rare exemption request with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that he be allowed to drive a heavy truck in interstate commerce despite his medical condition that regulators say likely could cause a loss of consciousness or an inability to control a commercial vehicle.

After years in limbo, a final rule became effective in November allowing medical examiners — in consultation with a truck driver’s treating clinician — to decide whether an insulin-treated diabetic driver is qualified to get behind the wheel.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it has received an exemption request from hours-of-service rules from one trade association and has granted reprieve from those rules to another.

FRISCO, Texas — Cathy Gautreaux, deputy administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, emphasized the value of partnership and industry input in an address to members of the trucking industry Nov. 13.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration over the next year plans to expand implementation of its “off-site safety audit” review process from 10 test states to all 50 states, officials said.

AUSTIN, Texas — Jim Mullen, chief counsel for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, indicated that the bulk of the more than 5,000 online comments the agency received regarding potential changes to hours-of-service rules supported tweaking the regulations to increase flexibility.