House Approves Trucking Agency

In what some observers are calling the most significant change in federal trucking oversight since the industry was deregulated nearly 20 years ago, Congress took a big step Thursday toward the establishment of a separate motor carrier safety agency within the Department of Transportation.

The House of Representatives passed its version of a bill to create the National Motor Carrier Administration and beef up truck and bus safety on other fronts. The 415-5 vote came the same day Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater wrote to the bill’s sponsor to say that he now supports the establishment of a separate modal administration. For months, Slater had advocated leaving the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety where it is – in the Federal Highway Administration.

Meanwhile, the Senate version, introduced Aug. 5 as the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), is still awaiting markup by the Commerce Committee and is expected to be sent to the floor later this month. Supporters are hoping a conference bill can be sent to the President Clinton’s desk before the end of the legislative session.

The House bill also carried language repealed the Single State Registration System in favor of a uniform system, operated by a central clearinghouse, to handle all interstate carrier registrations.

For the full story, see the Oct. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.