C_TEC and American Trucking Associations Request for Extension on FMCSA’s Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle ANPRM

Re: Request for Extension of Time to File Comments in Reply to Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Safe Integration of Automated Driving Systems-Equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles, Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0037

Dear Administrator Martinez:

American Trucking Associations, Inc. (ATA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC) respectfully request that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration grant a 30-day extension for submission of comments in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Safe Integration of Automated Driving Systems-Equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles, which was published in the Federal Register on May 28, 2019 with a comment period ending on August 26, 2019 (see 84 Fed. Reg. 24449), which was then reduced to a 60- day comment period ending on July 29, 2019, in a notice of correction published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2019 (see 84 Fed. Reg. 25229).

The ANPRM asks a significant number of detailed and somewhat theoretical questions about how Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations could interact with the deployment of automated commercial vehicles. Many of these questions are novel and raise important issues to be considered by automated commercial vehicle developers and trucking fleets. An additional 30 days or a restoration of the original comment due date to develop comments would provide industry groups such as ATA and C_TEC more opportunity to coordinate with and gather information from our members to more usefully respond to the ANPRM.

We believe this request meets the criteria presented in 49 CFR 389.19, Petitions for extension of time to comment, as it shows good cause for the extension (time needed to develop responsive comments, restoration of a longer comment period as identified in the original notice), and is consistent with the public interest (will provide FMCSA with more useful comments in response to the ANPRM)..

Thank you for your consideration of this request.