Skip to main content

Guide to complying with FMCSA handheld cell phone ban

Effective yestereday, a new US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.
March 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Effective yestereday, a new US 4170 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. Under the new rule, individual drivers face civil penalties up to US$2,750, while employers can be held liable and fined up to $11,000 per infraction committed while drivers are carrying out company business or otherwise acting on the employer’s behalf.

To help commercial fleet operators understand and conform to the new regulation, ZoomSafer, a provider of software to prevent distracted driving, has published FMCSA Cell Phone Use Regulations: A Guide to Compliance for Truck and Bus Fleets.

“FMCSA has made it abundantly clear that employers are responsible if their employees violate the rule,” said ZoomSafer CEO Matt Howard. “This new white paper offers commercial fleet operators a detailed explanation of the handheld phone ban and guidance on how to measure and manage employee compliance.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Innovation in road design and management software
    February 17, 2012
    The emphasis on data processing and re-use, continues to grow in the development of design and management software. The interoperability of software, the need to handle and process larger amounts of data, and re-use and retention of data sets from one task to another have been a growing emphasis in the past few years. It allows infrastructure companies to get better value from expensively collected information and to focus more on the whole life cycle of projects.
  • Bentley Systems strikes bridge monitoring deal with AASHTO
    November 15, 2012
    A new partnership between Bentley Systems and the American Association of Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) looks set to yield significant cost benefits for the US. This move will see AASHTO and Bentley align to extend AASHTO’s Bridge Management software with Bentley’s Inspectech package. As a result, bridge inspection processes in the US will become more efficient, more accurate and also see major budget reductions. CEO Greg Bentley said, “In the US we spend about US$1 billion/year on bridge inspec
  • Komatsu launches next-generation WA475-11 and WA485-11 wheeled loaders with joystick steering controls
    April 10, 2025

    Komatsu Europe has premiered its new next-generation WA475-11 and WA485-11 wheeled loaders, which the manufacturer says represent a leap forward in performance and efficiency.

    At the heart of new Dash 11 generation wheeled loaders is a newly developed Komatsu diesel engine which is characterised by extremely high torque in the low-speed range. This new engine is combined with a Komatsu-designed hydro-mechanical-transmission (HMT), resulting in excellent performance, power reserves, fuel efficiency and ease of operation for all transport and loading tasks.  

  • Cross border driving offence law comes close for EU
    February 28, 2012
    It will be two years before an efficient cross-border system for fining drivers who commit offences in other European countries can be implemented.