Trucking Agency Gets a New Look

The merger of motor carrier and highway safety into a single office was long overdue, said the federal official whose department has those duties.

“Separation of safety into little segments is counterproductive,” Julie Cirillo, program manager of the Motor Carrier and Highway Safety business unit, said last week. “Education, training, licensing and roadside inspections shouldn’t be segmented.”

When the Federal Highway Administration combined the offices of motor carrier and highway safety last fall, it brought responsibility for truck, bus, highway, roadside, construction zone and pedestrian safety under one roof, she said.

While the former Office of Motor Carriers had five divisions with responsibility for planning and customer liaison, research and standards, safety and technology, information analysis and field operations, the new business unit has four core divisions and four divisions providing support functions.

Here is a list of the divisions and their bosses:

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LI> The new Office of Safety Research and Motor Carrier Standards, headed by Paul Brennan, will draft regulations and conduct research.

Under the direction of Dwight Horne, the Office of Highway Safety Infrastructure will handle roadside design, rail grade crossings, traffic control devices, and pedestrian and bicycle safety.

Phyllis Young has responsibility for the Office of National and International Safety Programs, which oversees the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program and implementation of the trucking and bus provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Clinton Magby heads the Office of Motor Carrier Enforcement, which identifies high-risk carriers and deploys safety inspectors.

For the full story, see the April 26 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.