RP 532 - Model Year Introduction Guidelines: Background

Currently, there is no industry standard for model year introduction dates among vehicle, engine, body and trailer manufacturers. Presently, 49 CFR Part 565.3 (a) - (o) defines "model year" to mean the year used to designate a discrete vehicle model, irrespective of the calendar year in which the vehicle was actually produced, so long as the actual period is less than two calendar years. The rule applies to any equipment issued a vehicle identification number (VIN). Current regulations, therefore, allow the production date and the model year to differ by as much as a day less than two years. As a result, these multiple introduction dates complicate the processes of tracking equipment costs for fleets. Standardizing the date when a model year begins for all Class 3-8 commercial vehicles would be of great benefit for equipment users.