Minimum Levels of Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers; Petitions for Rulemaking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces it is considering whether to amend its financial responsibility requirements for motor carriers in response to two petitions for rulemaking. The Government of Canada (Canada) petitioned FMCSA to amend these requirements to permit, as acceptable evidence of financial responsibility, a policy of insurance issued by a Canadian insurance company legally authorized to issue such policies in the Province or Territory of Canada where the motor carrier has its principal place of business. Canada believes the FMCSA's current regulations place Canada-domiciled motor carriers operating in the United States at a competitive disadvantage with U.S.-domiciled carriers. The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) petitioned FMCSA to make revisions to the MCS-90 and MCS-90B endorsements to clarify that language in the endorsements imposing liability for negligence occurring ``on any route or in any territory authorized to be served by the insured or elsewhere'' does not include liability connected with transportation within Mexico. FMCSA seeks input from the public in the form of data or other information in response to several questions posed in the ANPRM to assist the Agency in evaluating these proposals.

Agency Contact: Mr. Thomas Yager, Chief, Division of Driver and Carrier Operations (MC-PSD), FMCSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; Telephone (202) 366-4009, or FAX 202-366-8842.