Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The FMCSA was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. FMCSA is headquartered in Washington, DC and employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, all dedicated to improving the safety of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and saving lives.

The primary mission of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to reduce crashes, injuries, fatalities, and property loss involving large trucks and buses by regulating the workers involved.

In carrying out its safety mandate to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities, FMCSA:

• Develops and enforces data-driven regulations that balance motor carrier (truck and bus companies) safety with industry efficiency;

• Harnesses safety information systems to focus on higher risk carriers in enforcing the safety regulations;

• Issues Motor Carrier Number to "For Hire Interstate Motor Carriers" who transport passengers, property and hazardous materials , this is often referred to as Motor Carrier Authority or Operating Authority;

• Targets educational messages to carriers, commercial drivers, and the public; and

• Partners with stakeholders including Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, safety groups, and organized labor on efforts to reduce bus and truck-related crashes.

Key Programs

Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs)

FMCSA enforces HMRs, which are designed to ensure the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials. These rules address the classification of hazardous materials, proper packaging, employee training, hazard communication, and operational requirements. The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety within the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) develops regulations and standards for the classifying, handling and packaging of over 800,000 daily shipments of hazardous materials within the United States.

Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP)

A Federal grant program that provides States with financial assistance to hire staff and implement strategies to enforce FMCSRs and HMRs. MCSAP funds are used to conduct roadside inspections and review motor carriers' compliance with FMCSRs and HMRs. MCSAP funds promote detection and correction of commercial motor vehicle safety defects, commercial vehicle driver deficiencies, and unsafe motor carrier practices before they become contributing factors to crashes and hazardous materials incidents.

Household Goods Program

FMCSA regulates interstate household goods movers and requires them to register with the agency. FMCSA has a Web site, ProtectYourMove, to assist consumers moving across state lines. It also has a toll-free hotline (1-888-368-7238) and Web site, http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov, for consumer complaints on interstate movers, as well as on Safety Violations, Hazardous Materials issues, and Cargo Tank facilities.

Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 Initiative

FMCSA is developing a new operational model through its Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 initiative. The goal of CSA 2010 is to develop and implement more effective and efficient ways for FMCSA, its state partners, and industry to reduce commercial motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and injuries. CSA 2010 will help FMCSA and its state partners contact more carriers and drivers, use improved data to better identify high risk carriers and drivers, and apply a wider range of interventions to correct high risk behavior.

See also

• Motor carrier safety rating

References

1. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - About Us

2. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - Key Programs

3. Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010

External links

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership
• Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety

The FMCSA Safety and Fitness Electronic Records SAFER System offers company safety data and related services to industry and the public over the Internet. Users can search FMCSA databases, register for a USDOT number, pay fines online, order company safety profiles, challenge FMCSA data using the DataQs system, access the Hazardous Material Route registry, obtain National Crash and Out of Service rates for Hazmat Permit Registration, get printable registration forms and find information about other FMCSA Information Systems.