Congress Backs Truck Agency

Trucking will get one of its long-awaited wishes fulfilled Jan. 1, when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration becomes a separate agency within the Department of Transportation.

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Creation of the 11th branch on the DOT tree — and the reforms it will bring — is considered by all interested parties as a major milestone in government oversight of the industry, which federal figures show hauls about 70% of the nation’s business freight.

President Clinton, who was traveling overseas last week, is expected to sign the FMCSA legislation that won unanimous passage in the Senate on Nov. 19, a day after the House approved the same bill by a voice vote.

“Establishing a separate agency with the stated responsibility for making the highways safer is an important step forward in highlighting the importance of truck and bus safety as well as improving regulatory efficiency,” said Sen. Ernest Hollings, who twice sponsored legislation in the mid-1980s to create a separate trucking agency.

For the full story, see the Nov. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.