One of the leading trucking trade and advocacy organizations is calling on Congress to increase funding and staffing for the federal agency that regulates the industry so it can sharpen its focus on safety.
The Truckload Carriers Association Tuesday, June 9, released a major policy white paper outlining what it calls a "comprehensive set of reforms" to modernize the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and strengthen commercial motor vehicle safety oversight in the U.S.
The association's president is calling on Congress to create a "stronger, more efficient, and more accountable FMCSA."
TCA's proposals come as Congress continues to consider the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill. The $92.2 billion bill was recently approved by the House Appropriations Committee, and is now before the entire House.
The 29-page paper, “Proposals for Comprehensive Reform: Prioritizing Investments in FMCSA’s Core Safety Mission,” highlights what TCA says is a growing mismatch between FMCSA’s expanding responsibilities and its limited staffing, outdated systems, and fragmented oversight tools, according to a statement from the TCA. The white paper calls for Congress and the Department of Transportation to:
- realign FMCSA’s resources
- modernize its registration and vetting systems
- update its safety fitness framework
- streamline its statutory portfolio to focus on crash prevention
TCA President Jim Mullen said the association "greatly appreciates the work USDOT and FMCSA are doing every day to protect the motoring public," saying the agency continues to take on more responsibilities despite limited resources. Mullen said Congress must provide FMCSA with the staffing, tools, and funding necessary to fully execute its core safety mission.
“FMCSA is responsible for overseeing one of the largest and most diverse regulated populations in the federal government, yet it remains one of the smallest agencies within USDOT,” said Mullen. “This imbalance compromises safety, weakens oversight, and leaves the motoring public at risk. These recommendations offer a path toward a more modern, data driven, and accountable safety system, and Congress must ensure FMCSA has the resources to fulfill its mission.”
The TCA's key recommendations include:
- Substantial increases in FMCSA safety staffing and dedicated funding streams
- A unified, secure registration and vetting system with meaningful pre operational review
- Modernization of the safety fitness determination process
- Strengthened oversight of CDL licensing, ELDT providers, and third party testers
- Improved crash causation analysis and data integrity
- Narrowing FMCSA’s statutory portfolio to focus on core safety functions
The TCA said its white paper "underscores the scale of the challenge." The association said FMCSA has only 1,118 employees overseeing nearly 8 million regulated entities — a ratio of one employee per 7,155 regulated entities. By comparison,a ccording to the TCA, the Federal Aviation Administration employs more than 45,000 personnel to oversee roughly 7,400 commercial aircraft operators and certificate holders.
"This stark contrast underscores how FMCSA’s staffing levels lag far behind peer safety agencies despite its vastly larger regulated population," said the TCA in a statement about its proposal.
“This is a moment for Congress to act,” Mullen said “A stronger, more efficient, and more accountable FMCSA is essential not only for public safety, but for the stability of the nation’s supply chain. TCA stands ready to work with Congress and USDOT, and we strongly urge Congress to provide the resources necessary to support FMCSA’s critical mission.”
The full white paper is available online.
