DOT’s Porcari to Step Down at Year End; Mendez Tapped for Post
Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari is stepping down after four and a half years of service. In a message to DOT employees, Secretary Anthony Foxx thanked Porcari and said he has asked Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez to step in as Acting Deputy Secretary starting Jan. 1.
Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari is stepping down after four and a half years of service.
In a message to DOT employees, Secretary Anthony Foxx thanked Porcari and said he has asked Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez to step in as Acting Deputy Secretary starting Jan. 1.
Porcari led the Department’s effort to streamline the infrastructure project approval process and cut red tape, major initiatives of the last highway bill. He also increased enforcement of the Buy America program, Foxx said.
“Through these programs and so many others, John is leaving the Department and the Nation’s transportation system stronger than when he started,” Foxx said in his message.
“Both (former Transportation) Secretary (Ray) LaHood and I have benefited from having him by our sides at every step of the way.”
As head of the Maryland Department of Transportation before taking the DOT job in June 2009, Porcari helped plan the rebuilding of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge across the Potomac River on I-95.
Mendez has been FHWA Administrator since 2009. Before then he was with the Arizona DOT and served as President of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
More Safety & Compliance
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition
Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.
Read More →
ZF Expands Commercial Vehicle Push in North America
ZF is expanding its North American commercial-vehicle presence with new transmission applications, electrification, trailer technology and autonomous-driving systems.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →
Tesla Wants a Self-Driving Semi. Are Cameras Enough?
Could Tesla’s camera-only autonomous driving technology work on an 80,000-pound Semi? In this commentary, HDT's Deborah Lockridge takes a look at Tesla, Cybercab, and how autonomous trucks see the road.
Read More →
What DOT’s Automated Vehicle Strategy Means for Trucking
The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a new automated-vehicle strategy that outlines plans for driverless-truck regulations, cross-state freight corridors, and federal safety standards.
Read More →
NYC Expands Speed, Pedestrian Safety Tech Across Fleet
New York City is expanding intelligent speed assistance and pedestrian-alert systems across its municipal fleet, moving the technologies from pilot programs into vehicle procurement and retrofit requirements.
Read More →
FMCSA Removes 110 Truck Driver Training Schools from Certified ELDT List
Federal regulators also are targeting more than 160 additional training providers and launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers as part of a broader crackdown on trucking fraud.
Read More →
Beyond DOT Compliance: What Makes a Trucking Fleet Truly Safe?
A trucking fleet can follow every rule and still make unsafe decisions. The real test comes when safety conflicts with freight, productivity, or cost.
Read More →
Hours of Service Pilot Programs: FMCSA Readies for 2027 Rollout
Two pilot programs could eventually reshape hours-of-service rules, giving truck drivers options to pause their 14-hour clock or use longer split sleeper rest periods.
Read More →