Subpart E – Hazardous Materials Safety Permits

Hazardous Materials Safety Permits (HMSP) Crash Rate

As stated in § 385.407(a)(2)(ii), in order to be eligible for a HMSP, a motor carrier may not have a crash rate in the top 30% of the national average. For the current Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HMSP) cycle the Motor Carrier Crash Rate is 0.125 crashes per power unit. A motor carrier’s crash rate must be less than 0.125 to meet this condition.

To calculate this number, FMCSA looked at the crash rate of all carriers in its census (HM and non-HM) that had more than one crash during the calendar years 2007 and 2008 (the last year for which FMCSA has complete data). FMCSA then determined what the numerical value was that resulted in 70 percent of the carriers having a crash rate lower than that figure, and 30 percent of the carriers having a crash rate higher than that figure.

How to Calculate Your Motor Carrier Crash Rate:

Divide the total number of crashes¹ for the previous twelve month time period by the total number of power units. For example, for the previous twelve month time period if a motor carrier had two crashes and 10 power units then the crash rate would be 0.20. (2 ÷ 10 = 0.20)

Hazardous Materials Safety Permits (HMSP) Out-of-Service Rate

As stated in § 385.407(a)(2)(iii), in order to be eligible for a HMSP, a motor carrier may not have a driver, vehicle, or hazardous materials out-of-service percentage rate in the top 30% of the national average. For this Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HMSP) cycle the Out-of-Service Percentage Rates are as follows:

• The Driver Out-of–Service Percentage Rate Threshold is 9.09%

• The Vehicle Out-of–Service Percentage Rate Threshold is 33.33%

• The Hazardous Materials Out-of–Service Percentage Rate Threshold is 4.76%

A motor carrier’s Out-of-Service Percentage Rate for each category must be less than the posted rates for the current cycle.²

To calculate this percentage for (OOS) Rate, FMCSA looked at the driver, vehicle, or HM OOS Percentage Rates of all carriers (HM and non-HM) for calendar years 2007 and 2008. FMCSA then determined what the numerical value was that resulted in 70 percent of the carriers having a driver, vehicle, or HM OOS Percentage rate lower than that figure, and 30 percent of the carriers having a driver, vehicle, or HM OOS Percentage rate higher than that figure.

How to Calculate the Motor Carrier Out-of-Service Percentage Rates:

Divide the total number of out-of-service inspections from the previous twelve month time period from the date of HMSP application processing for each category by the total number of inspections for that category for the same twelve month time period. For example, if for the previous twelve month time period a motor carrier had twenty driver inspections and two of these resulted in an out-of-service condition then the Driver out-of-service rate would be 0.10. (2 ÷ 20 * 100% = 10%)

The Driver, Vehicle and Hazardous Materials Out-of-Service Percentage Rates are to be calculated separately.