Drivers are required to present a
Driver-Training Certificate (DT Certificate) to prospective
employers to prove they are certified to drive Longer Combination
Vehicles (LCVs). Motor carriers must not allow drivers to operate
LCVs without ensuring the drivers have been properly trained in
accordance with the requirements under 49 CFR part 380. The DT
Certificate provides this assurance. While carriers must verify
that a driver has proper training before allowing the driver to
operate an LCV, it is up to the driver to obtain the required
training. Motor carriers must maintain a copy of the LCV DT
Certificate in the driver qualification (DQ) file, required by 49
CFR § 380.401(b). During an investigative review, motor carriers
responsible for the operation of LCVs must be able to show Federal
or State enforcement officials that drivers responsible for
operating such LCVs are certified to do so, based on the training
certificate in their DQ files. This IC is mandatory reporting and
recordkeeping and requires the completion and signing of a DT
Certificate. The data collected is on the certificate that the
trainer creates. The training provider must provide a training
certificate or diploma to the entry-level driver. If an employer is
the training provider, the employer must provide a training
certificate or diploma to the entry-level driver. 49 CFR § 380.513
states that the training certificate or diploma must contain the
following seven items of information: (a) date of certificate
issuance; (b) name of training provider; (c) mailing address of
training provider; (d) name of driver; (e) a statement that the
driver has completed training in driver qualification requirements,
hours of service of drivers, driver wellness, and whistleblower
protection requirements; (f) the printed name of the person
attesting that the driver has received the required training; and
(g) the signature of the person attesting that the driver has
received the required training. Motor carriers may maintain the
required certificate electronically or via paper copy. Generally,
DQ files must be maintained at the motor carriers’ principal place
of business—the training certificate must be included in the DQ
file. This IC requires zero percent (0%) of the DT Certificate to
be submitted electronically. The DT Certificate is required to be
completed only once for each LCV driver; the LCV training
certification does not expire. FMCSA has limited the collection of
information to the time when it is most relevant to evaluate a
driver’s qualifications to operate a LCV. If this collection of
information were conducted less frequently, FMCSA and State
enforcement officials would be unable to determine if a driver is
qualified to safely operate a LCV in accordance with part 380
during an investigative review or a roadside inspection. The DT
Certificate provides proof that the driver completed requisite
training and ensures that the driver is qualified to safely operate
an LCV on the Nation’s highways.
US Code:
49
USC 31307 Name of Law: Minimum training requirements for
operators of longer combination vehicles
The number of respondents has
decreased from 59,684 to 50,708, and the annual burden hours has
decreased from 5,575 to 4,244. This ICR is adjusted to correct an
overestimated growth rate for new drivers requiring LCV DT
Certificates, overestimated burden costs, and incorrect inclusion
of training costs as a paperwork requirement. The Agency discovered
that it misstated the growth rate obtained from the BLS website for
the number of new drivers requiring LCV DT Certificates. The
results of that mistake over-estimated the number of new drivers,
annual burden hours, hours for preparing training certificates,
number of drivers who undergo the hiring process, number of
respondents, number of responses, and costs to respondents. This
ICR corrects and updates the affected areas, resulting in several
reductions. Separately, the currently approved version of this IC
incorrectly accounted for the cost, $7,035,160, to complete the LCV
Driver-Training Program. Training is not considered to be an
information collection burden. For this updated version of the ICR,
the Agency is removing the cost associated with training. Instead,
FMCSA has calculated the labor costs associated with the LCV driver
training recordkeeping requirements. The annual cost burden is
estimated to be $135,734.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
30-day FR for 2126-0026.pdf
PRA-2126-0026 Supporting Statement 4-21-2020.DOCX
49 CFR 1.87.Delegations to the FMCSA Administrator.doc
Training Certification for Drivers of Longer Combination Vehicles