Natural Gas Systems: Suggested Changes to Truck and Motorcoach Regulations and Inspection Procedures

This report provides recommendations for suggested changes to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), North American Standard (NAS) inspection procedures, and out-of-service (OOS) criteria to accommodate and facilitate the use of natural gas (compressed or liquefied) as an alternative to traditional fuels such as diesel and gasoline in commercial vehicles. In addition to providing specific recommendations for changes, this report summarizes the process used to arrive at these recommendations, which included a literature review and gap analysis, industry site visits/consultations, and a formal peer review process. Current FMCSRs, NAS inspection procedures, and OOS criteria are targeted primarily toward liquid-fueled vehicles. They address the unique characteristics of gaseous-fueled vehicles in a very limited way and fail to address cryogenic fuels. The purpose of this project was to identify changes to the current FMCSRs and inspection procedures, if any, that would specifically and fully address the unique characteristics of natural gas used as a fuel and serve to improve the overall safety of commercial vehicle operations by ensuring that commercial vehicles powered by natural gas meet appropriate safety criteria at all times while operating on public roads.

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• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/83
• Corporate Authors:

  M.J. Bradley & Associates, Incorporated

  1000 Elm Street, 2nd Floor
  Manchester, NH  United States  03101

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

  Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lowell, Dana
• Publication Date: 2013-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; References;
• Pagination: 86p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Commercial vehicles; Inspection; Methodology; Natural gas; Recommendations; Regulations; Trucks; Vehicle safety
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Public Transportation; I95: Vehicle Inspection;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01493362
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FMCSA-RRT-13-044
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 20 2013 9:04AM