Regulators at the Federal level are aiming to nix the rule-exemption requests that Mack Trucks in particular is pitching. This would show failure in providing safety justifications that are necessary by law.
The NHTSA themselves had to deny the request made by Mack Trucks that would ask for about 27,544 of the Class 8 Granite Work Truck Models that had been built between 2014 and 2022, for the models between 2015 and 2023. All of which isn’t quite in compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for turn-signal lamps. In approval of the exemption, this would let Mack Trucks avoid recalls for the defective models. In any case, the NHTSA’s very own Otto Matheke, the acting associate administrator for enforcement, had said that there was no data provided that it would be of inconsequential circumstances to safety.
The NHTSA, being the organization that they are, is not too dissimilar in their footing, as it’s similar to what the FMCSA has been dealing with carrier and driver safety.
The FMCSA themselves have been rejecting various petitions that were filed by drivers and carriers throughout the past two years that would look for work-rule exemptions while providing little, if any evidence, of granting exemptions not leading to increased safety risks.
This is all too bad for Mack trucks, as they, being a subsidiary of Volvo, petitioned NHTSA for such an exemption as early as November 2022.
The FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson has been denying the Flat Top Transport request earlier in the year, where applicants had been themselves required to show how they could go for a higher level of safety that very well could be equal to the level of safety that could be equal or greater than what the previous level would be by complying to the regulations.
There had been statements made in the exemption application how trucks were originally equipped with turn signal lamps that don’t quite meet the visibility requirement of all angles that could be specified by FMVSS Number 108. All while it’s specifically registered towards various axle positions and frame extension configurations, where the forward turn signals upon exact vehicles couldn’t be compliant with the existing 45-degree inboard/15 degree downward angle visibility requirement.
The NHTSA themselves are able to hold back a denial of exemption, given that this could come at any opportunity, post-the receipt of new data and notice could be commented from then on.
