FMCSA Seeks Renewal of Hazmat Shipment Tracking Records

FMCSA is seeking federal approval to continue an existing information collection for motor carriers operating under a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit. TheTrucker.com reported November 3 that the request covers shipment-communication and recordkeeping requirements under Office of Management and Budget Control Number 2126-0030. It is a renewal of paperwork authority, not a newly effective tracking rule.

The Federal Register notice says affected carriers must maintain a communications plan that allows at least twice-daily contact for specified hazardous-materials shipments. Records must identify the time and location of each communication and be retained for at least six months at the carrier's principal place of business or another readily available location. Records may be kept on paper or electronically. The underlying requirements apply only to operations covered by the Hazardous Materials Safety Permit rules.

FMCSA estimates that 1,142 carriers are subject to the collection and that the combined annual recordkeeping burden is about 799,400 hours. The agency is not proposing a higher communication frequency or an additional data field through this notice. Instead, it is asking OMB to renew permission to collect information used to support shipment security and compliance oversight.

Carriers should confirm which loads trigger the permit and tracking provisions, document responsibility for each required contact, and make records retrievable for an inspection. Drivers should follow the carrier's approved communications plan rather than improvise sensitive shipment procedures. Public comments on the information collection are due December 2, 2026, under docket FMCSA-2026-0991. A comment period does not suspend current obligations, so covered carriers must continue following the existing rules unless FMCSA publishes a formal change.