Related: Safety Advocates, Teamsters Challenge Hours of Service Changes
FMCSA New Commercial Driver Panel Will Provide Feedback on Critical Issues
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator will be launching a new panel to its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee comprised of commercial motor vehicle drivers which will provide direct feedback to FMCSA on important issues facing the industry.

Photo: Jim Park
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) will be launching a new panel to its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) comprised of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers which will provide direct feedback to FMCSA on important issues facing the industry.
“Truck drivers and other commercial vehicle operators are American heroes who have stepped up during the current public health emergency to keep our economy moving, so their input is essential to strengthening safety on the roads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The panel will be comprised of 20 to 25 drivers from all sectors of the CMV industry — tractor trailer drivers, straight truck drivers, motor coach drivers, hazardous materials drivers, agriculture haulers, and more — and cover such topics as safety, hours-of-service regulations, training, parking, and driver experience.
“The Department of Transportation and this Administration believe in listening to our drivers and hearing their concerns directly. We know that many of the solutions to the challenges we face don’t come from Washington—they come from the hard-working men and women who are behind the wheel all over our nation. This new subcommittee to MCSAC will further help us hear from America’s commercial drivers,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Wiley Deck.
More Safety & Compliance

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 →
New Guide Offers Pet Safety Tips for Truck Drivers
Hundreds of thousands of pets travel in truck cabs. A new safety guide from Volvo Trucks and the Center for Pet Safety offers practical advice for truck drivers who bring dogs and cats along for the ride.
Read More →
