The influx of regulations has caused the trucking industry to question the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) intent.
Last Wednesday, a group of trucking industry representatives were able to express some of their concerns to Congress, in a hearing titled “The Future of Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety: Technology, Safety Initiatives, and the Role of Federal Regulation,” according to a Fleet Owner article.
One representative, in particular, called for “common-sense reforms to the regulatory process.”
It may seem hard to put an exact number of the new regulations (good or bad) that have been introduced to truckers recently. According to Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR.) in a Fleet Owner article , there have been 41 regulatory changes recently made by the FMCSA.
There is only one reason that number should be so high, and that would be if these regulations were being put into place for the safety of all parties involved, right?
FMCSA’s motives are being questioned and we hear from Danny Schnautz, operations manager for Clark Freight Lines, in a Fleet Owner article.
“This hearing comes at a critical time for the future of commercial motor vehicle safety policy,” said Schnautz. “Instead of a reasoned or understanding approach to highway safety by addressing the key factors behind at-fault truck crashes, FMCSA policy on enforcement is driven by a goal of absolute compliance with the letter of every single regulation, no matter the connection to crashes.”
The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program is a perfect example. Is the program intended to accurately portray the safety of motor carriers? If so, why would the process be so skewed?