The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) is urging any trailer and equipment managers who have received a non-compliance letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to “take the request seriously and respond appropriately to the request.”
NHTSA last week sent letters to certain trailer and equipment manufacturers, advising them of possible non-compliance with reporting requirements under federal regulations.
Specifically, in its letter, NHTSA is seeking information regarding compliance with reporting requirements under 49 CFR § 579.5. NHTSA has informed recipients of these letters that they are required to respond to the agency’s request for information.
In a statement, NATM said, “NATM had previously advised members this action was possible, and we would like to remind our members that NHTSA has made clear to us that it takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure the safe operation of motor vehicles. As it has demonstrated over the past several years, NHTSA intends to vigorously pursue violators and impose penalties for non-compliance.
“And even in the case of this request for information, while the agency has indicated that it does not intend to pursue violations of 49 C.F.R. § 579.5 based on timely submissions in response to this letter, the agency says it may pursue violations of other legal requirements that they discover based on the information submitted. Therefore, if you receive a letter and have any questions regarding compliance, you are encouraged to seek the advice of legal counsel. And if you do not have legal counsel, we would be pleased to assist in referring you to counsel for possible assistance.
“NATM has been very focused on these matters on behalf of the membership. We have not only been regularly communicating with NHTSA, we have also been developing a compliance guide and offering workshops at our recent convention to help members meet their obligations under federal regulations to report certain information to NHTSA. If you would like more information on NATM’s compliance materials or would like to discuss these matters in more detail, please contact Pam Trusdale or Kendra Ansley by email at [email protected] or [email protected] or by phone at (785) 272-4433.”