(a) Motor carrier safety performance.

(1) The motor carrier must have a “Satisfactory” safety rating assigned by either FMCSA, pursuant to the Safety Fitness Procedures of this part, or the State in which the motor carrier has its principal place of business, if the State has adopted and implemented safety fitness procedures that are equivalent to the procedures in subpart A of this part; and

(2) FMCSA will not issue a safety permit to a motor carrier that:

(i) Does not certify that it has a satisfactory security program as required in §385.407(b);

(ii) Has a crash rate in the top 30 percent of the national average as indicated in the FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS); or

(iii) Has a driver, vehicle, hazardous materials, or total out-of-service rate in the top 30 percent of the national average as indicated in the MCMIS.

(b) Satisfactory security program. The motor carrier must certify that it has a satisfactory security program, including:

(1) A security plan meeting the requirements of part 172, subpart I of this title, and addressing how the carrier will ensure the security of the written route plan required by this part;

(2) A communications plan that allows for contact between the commercial motor vehicle operator and the motor carrier to meet the periodic contact requirements in §385.415(c)(1); and

(3) Successful completion by all hazmat employees of the security training required in §172.704(a)(4) and (a)(5) of this title.

(c) Registration with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The motor carrier must be registered with the PHMSA in accordance with part 107, subpart G of this title.

[69 FR 39367, June 30, 2004, as amended at 75 FR 17241, Apr. 5, 2010; 77 FR 28450, May 14, 2012; 78 FR 58481, Sept. 24, 2013]