The Teamsters union said it opposes the nomination of Anne Ferro to be the next administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but one of the main groups that has often been allied with the union on safety issues was not a signatory to its letter to the Obama administration.
Ferro, head of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, is not the right choice to head FMCSA because of her “trucking-industry party line,” Teamsters President Jim Hoffa wrote the Obama administration in a letter.
But although the letter was signed by three allied safety groups, it was not signed by Public Citizen, which has challenged FMCSA on such issues as hours of service and Mexican trucks.
Ferro said in a statement released by the MMTA that she was “honored that President Obama has chosen to nominate me for this position” and that she is “committed to working closely with the Board to achieve a smooth transition for MMTA.” She was nominated to the post last Thursday.
MMTA Chairman Alex Klemko said in a statement that “we expect [Ferro] her to rise to the challenge and be confirmed later this summer. With this outcome in mind, I have appointed a leadership committee to establish a well-planned, organized and structured transition for MMTA.”
American Trucking Associations’ President Bill Graves said last week that Ferro’s “extensive experience in promoting driver, vehicle and highway safety will serve the nation well.” (Click here for related print-edition story.)
Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said Ferro’s “diverse background involving commercial motor vehicles . . . certainly [gives her] the qualifications to fill that position.”
By Transport Topics
Senior Reporter Sean McNally contributed to this story
(Click here for previous coverage.)
