(a) The FMCSA will provide a motor carrier written notice of any safety rating resulting from a compliance review as soon as practicable, but not later than 30 days after the review. The notice will take the form of a letter issued from the FMCSA's headquarters office and will include a list of FMCSR and HMR compliance deficiencies which the motor carrier must correct.
(b) If the safety rating is ``satisfactory'' or improves a previous ``unsatisfactory'' safety rating, it is final and becomes effective on the date of the notice.
(c) In all other cases, a notice of a proposed safety rating will be issued. It becomes the final safety rating after the following time periods:
(1) For motor carriers transporting hazardous materials in quantities requiring placarding or transporting passengers by CMV--45 days after the date of the notice.
(2) For all other motor carriers operating CMVs--60 days after the date of the notice.
(d) A proposed safety rating of ``unsatisfactory'' is a notice to the motor carrier that the FMCSA has made a preliminary determination that the motor carrier is ``unfit'' to continue operating in interstate commerce, and that the prohibitions in Sec. 385.13 will be imposed after 45 or 60 days if necessary safety improvements are not made.
(e) A motor carrier may request the FMCSA to perform an administrative review of a proposed or final safety rating. The process and the time limits are described in Sec. 385.15.
(f) A motor carrier may request a change to a proposed or final safety rating based upon its corrective actions. The process and the time limits are described in Sec. 385.17. [65 FR 50934, Aug. 22, 2000, as amended at 75 FR 17241, Apr. 5, 2010; 77 FR 28450, May 14, 2012]