OOSC, Part IV, Item 4. U.S. Federal Out-of-Service Orders

In Part IV (Administrative) of the 2025 OOS Handbook and Pictorial (Pg77) a violation list is provided regarding U.S. Federal Out-Of-Service Order violations. The current violation list provides inspectors with the appropriate regulation associated with the reason that a carrier may be under a federal OOS order. However it does not provide guidance as to when a carrier should be placed out of service based on the way they are operating at the time of inspection (Interstate/Intrastate). For example, based on FMCSA guidance, a carrier operating under a Federal OOS Order for Imminent Hazard or UNSAT/UNFIT would be placed out of service regardless of operation type where as a carrier under a Federal OOS Order for Refusal of a New Entrant Safety Audit would not be placed out of service while engaging in intrastate commerce.

States are evaluated on catch rates and whether or not the inspector properly enforced a Federal OOS Order when dealing with carriers that are operating while under a Federal OOS Order. Providing a one stop reference page in the OOSC would likely increase proper roadside enforcement of Federal Out of Service Orders.

I request that violation reference table be amended or have an additional table added to the 2026 criteria to assist inspectors in determining when to enforce the Federal OOS Order based on operation type.