DOT's Inspector General to Audit FMCSA Oversight of High-Risk Carriers
The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General is conducting an audit into concerns about the “timeliness and effectiveness” of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s reviews of carriers that pose a greater risk.
The IG audit, announced in a May 5 memo, cited investigations in 2013 by the National Transportation Board of four motor carriers involved in crashes that resulted in a total of 25 fatalities and 83 injuries.
“The investigations revealed that FMCSA conducted safety reviews of these motor carriers prior to their crashes, one carrier only five days before, yet did not uncover or act on certain preexisting safety deficiencies until after the crashes,” the IG memo said.
The memo also said that in 2014, a motor carrier with a history of violations was involved in a fatal crash in Illinois.
“The motor carrier had been flagged as high-risk in FMCSA’s system, but an investigation was not conducted,” the IG letter said. “Following the 2014 crash, Sen. Dick Durbin [(D-Illinois),] requested that we audit FMCSA’s investigative practices for high-risk motor carriers.”
Subsequently, appropriations legislation earlier this year directed the IG to review FMCSA’s compliance review process.
“Accordingly, our audit objective is to assess FMCSA’s processes for ensuring that reviews of motor carriers flagged for investigation are timely and adequate,” the memo said.
The audit will begin immediately, the IG said.
An FMCSA spokesperson said the agency is prohibited from commenting on legislation, but it will have an opportunity to review the findings and to provide comments that will be included in the final report.
