Noise Check on the Open Road
Posted by Karen Thomas on Sat, Feb 04, 2012 @ 07:06 PM
It's Saturday – make some noise! If you're a big rig or big commercial truck though – you better think twice before raising the noise level on the Open Road. Sure – trucks need loud horns for safety purposes. Oftentimes – those travelling in passenger vehicles will go so far to encourage truck drivers to honk for the sake of...a loud noise. Sometimes though those who ultimately control the experience on the Open Road prefer to provide a quieter experience for all. Trucks emit noise – and not only via the horn. Engine noise requires regulation and the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are in charge.
The Noise Boss
Truck drivers, owner operators and fleet owners are required to adhere to the following noise mandates:
Subpart A - General Provisions
§ 325.1Scope of the rules in this part.
(a) The rules in this part prescribe procedures for inspection, surveillance, and measurement of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment operated by motor carriers to determine whether those vehicles and that equipment conform to the Interstate Motor Carrier Noise Emission Standards of the Environmental Protection Agency, 40 CFR part 202.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the rules in this part apply to motor carriers engaged in interstate commerce. The rules apply at any time or under any condition of highway grade, load, acceleration or deceleration.(c) The rules in this part do not apply to
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(1) A motor vehicle that has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg.) or less;
(2) A combination of motor vehicles that has a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg.) or less;
(3) The sound generated by a warning device, such as a horn or siren, installed in a motor vehicle, unless such device is intentionally sounded in order to preclude an otherwise valid noise emission measurement;
(4) An emergency motor vehicle, such as a fire engine, an ambulance, a police van, or a rescue van, when it is responding to an emergency call;
(5) A snow plow in operation; or
(6) The sound generated by auxiliary equipment which is normally operated only when the motor vehicle on which it is installed is stopped or is operating at a speed of 5 miles per hour (8 kph) or less, unless such device is intentionally operated at speeds greater than 5 mph (8 kph) in order to preclude an otherwise valid noise measurement. Examples of that type of auxiliary equipment include, but are not limited to, cranes, asphalt, spreaders, ditch diggers, liquid or slurry pumps, auxiliary air compressors, welders, and trash compactors.
The FMCSA may have its rowdy controls on, but that's no reason those who operate on the Open Road must do so quietly...just don't wake the neighbors.
