The U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA) creates a new group of commercial vehicle drivers to provide feedback on a range of topical issues faced by drivers. These issues are related to safety, training, parking, working time regulations (HOS), driver experience, etc.
The group will include 20 to 25 professional drivers from different directions of the CMV industry, who will be able to share their views and experiences, which will allow them to consider as many opinions as possible when making decisions and setting requirements.
The agency explained its decision because it seeks to get feedback directly from the commercial drivers and take into account their views in its safety initiatives, thus defining the priorities.
It should be said that the FMSCA continues to hold hearings and discussions with representatives of the automotive industry to collect feedback that is important in making decisions.
These actions are a big step for the industry. And it’s an achievement of the longest-running trucking protest “MayDay” in Washington, DC, in May 2020.
The White House meeting with trucking protest representatives became the most significant event of the #Mayday2020.
Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff, hosted the meeting with “CJ” Sergey Karman, MTGAA and Ezlogz founder and CEO, and Mike Landis, representative of the United States Transportation Alliance (USTA)
on May 20.
The former Administrator of FMCSA, Jim Mullen, was also present.
The meeting’s central purpose was to discuss the industry’s problems, such as making freight brokers transparency rules enforceable, double and co-brokerage, and price gouging.
The first meeting’s results were two investigations by The Department of Justice (DOJ):
DOJ Antitrust Division is working Federal disclosure requirements for freight brokers under 49 CFR § 371.3 (c) – performed by DOJ Antitrust Division.
Freight broker price gouging – performed by New Jersey US Attorney Craig Carpenito.
Moreover, in May 2020, FMCSA updated the HOS rules. New rules are based on commercial drivers’ feedback and provided to increase security and flexibility.
The other crucial change in the Administration was announced in August. Jim Mullen left his position, and on August 19, FMCSA DOT asked for the public comments on the Federal Register about brokers’ rulemaking.
