Motor Carrier Safety and Regulatory Reform Act of 1988

Motor Carrier Safety and Regulatory Reform Act of 1988 - Title I: Motor Carrier Safety - Amends the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984 to prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from exempting any person or commercial motor vehicle from complying with any commercial motor vehicle safety regulation or from waiving application of such regulation solely on the grounds that the commercial carrier's operations take place entirely within a municipality or its commercial zone. (Grandfathers certain commercial motor vehicle operators who operated entirely within a municipality or its commercial zone in calendar year 1988.)

Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue a final rule extending motor carrier safety regulations coverage to motor private carriers of passengers operating in interstate commerce; (2) implement an education and enforcement program regarding compliance of motor private carriers of passengers with Federal motor carrier safety regulations when operating in interstate commerce; and (3) report to the Congress regarding the regulations that have been promulgated and the status of the education and enforcement program.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) study the hours of service regulations pertaining to commercial motor vehicle operators to determine any relationship among them, operator fatigue, and the frequency of serious accidents involving such vehicles; and (2) report to the Congress regarding study results.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct a rulemaking proceeding to determine the costs and benefits of commercial motor vehicle on-board computers which monitor compliance with safety regulations; (2) issue regulations for procedures to expedite use of such computers if they contribute significantly to safety; and (3) report to the Congress on whether to make such use mandatory.

Requires the Secretary to issue regulations establishing minimum uniform standards for a biometric identification system for commercial motor vehicle operators. Authorizes the Secretary to use specified funds to implement a pilot demonstration project using such a system.

Directs the Secretary to initiate a rulemaking proceeding regarding the use of fusees as an alternative to bidirectional emergency reflective triangles.

Directs the Secretary to establish minimum standards for training and qualifying commercial motor vehicle brake system inspectors.

Title II: Motor Carrier Regulatory Reform Amendments - Amends Federal motor carrier law to require foreign motor carriers to obtain a certificate of registration from the Interstate Commerce Commission as a condition of providing interstate transportation of property (including exempt property) in the United States. Requires a copy of such certificate to be in the carrier's vehicle any time it provides such transportation in the United States.

Repeals the requirement that the Commission report annually to the Congress on the extent to which cost savings resulting from direct sales at a food and grocery seller's shipping point are passed on to the ultimate consumer.

Subjects general commodity freight forwarders to: (1) the same liability, and grants them the same limitation on liability, accorded common carriers; and (2) the same statutes of limitation for civil actions accorded common carriers.