NRMCA Seeks More Time to Study Federal Rear Underride Guard Proposal

On Monday, NRMCA submitted a formal request to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asking for a 90-day extension of the public comment period for a recently-published advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) aimed at requiring and strengthening rear underride guards for single unit trucks (SUTs), such as ready mixed concrete trucks. The proposal aims to consider possible amendments to the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) to require rear impact (underride) guards on all SUTs, including mixer trucks. While mixer trucks are currently required to install rear guards if they qualify, as per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), the proposal would now require that SUTs be compliant under NHTSA with a more robust standard, similar to the Canadian motor vehicle safety standards. Such a new requirement, which would also be imposed on tractor-trailer trucks as well, would potentially mean new mixer trucks would need to be equipped with a larger, heavier, more expensive underride guard than is currently required.

NRMCA’s extension request, in part, noted, "To ensure that a final rule is based on sound science, correct industry data and has the greatest degree of public participation, it will require more time for the ready mixed concrete industry and the public to evaluate and properly respond to the proposal. Such an extension will allow adequate time for a thorough assessment of the proposal’s impacts in order to provide NHTSA with the most accurate and responsible comments as they pertain to the ready mixed concrete industry. To this point, NRMCA is working with the Truck Mixer Manufacturers Bureau (TMMB) to determine how the proposal will impact ready mixed concrete truck manufacturers and thus downstream impacts on their customers: concrete producers. To gain a full and comprehensive understanding of these impacts, more time is needed to flesh out the impacts through NRMCA and TMMB."