Motor Carrier Safety: New Applicant Reviews Should Expand to Identify Freight Carriers Evading Detection

FMCSA’s mission is to reduce injuries, fatalities, and the severity of crashes involving large commercial trucks and buses conducting interstate commerce.5 With more than 1,000 staff members at headquarters, 4 regional service centers, and 52 division offices (one in each state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico), FMCSA carries out this mission by administering and enforcing federal motor carrier safety and hazardous materials regulations6 and by gathering and analyzing data on motor carriers, drivers, and vehicles, among other things. Division offices partner with state agencies to conduct a variety of motor carrier oversight activities carried out by certified auditors, inspectors, and investigators.