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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Independent Review Team

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx convened an expert Independent Review Team (IRT) as a result of two NTSB recommendations for audits of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) compliance review processes.  The NTSB recommendations were the result of a review of four commercial motor vehicle crashes.  In May 2015, Secretary Foxx sent a letter to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) outlining FMCSA’s significant progress on the action items identified to address the two recommendations. 
 
In the report transmitted to DOT in July 2014, the IRT recognized that the many mandates placed on FMCSA have reduced the Agency’s ability to focus on the “risks that really count.” The report specifically noted the mandated investigation workload that may not be aligned with current risk.  The report offers a variety of insights for the Agency to improve its efforts within its current enforcement framework, many of which have already been implemented, including:
  • The IRT expressed concern about the confusion over the relative nature of the Safety Measurement System.  In August 2014, the public display was modified to emphasize absolute safety performance measures rather than relative rankings. 
  • The FMCSA is implementing a new framework for the identification and management of high-risk carriers that provides a sharper definition and allows dynamic management of high risk carriers at the local level allowing the Agency to intervene with high risk carriers quickly, before crashes occur. 
  • A Federal Register notice was published seeking information about actions taken by the industry that go “Beyond Compliance” and how they could be used as part of FMCSA’s programs.
  • Enhanced Investigation Technique training was provided to all the FMCSA investigators to improve the quality of each investigation.  This training is now being offered to the Agency’s State Partners.
  • The Agency is undertaking additional training efforts for its investigative staff on flexibilities provided by current policies and is identifying any needed changes to ensure the consistent use of data in the enforcement processes.
  • The Agency is in the process of modifying its tools and investigative software to allow easier use of data in focusing investigative workload
Last updated: Friday, June 19, 2015