FMCSA nominee testifies before US Senate Panel Sept. 22

From Transport Topics.

Members of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s senior staff appeared alongside distinguished representatives of the trucking workforce last week to tout the industry’s contributions to the economy and roadway safety.

Meera Joshi, deputy administrator at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who is scheduled to appear before a Senate committee Sept. 22, was among the officials at the event. Her agency oversees the industry’s activities nationwide.

“As we become more and more reliant on e-commerce, and through pandemic and climate crises, [truckers’] critical role is even more evident,” Joshi said at the department’s headquarters. “Careful, professional truck drivers, attentive to driving, are saving lives every day.” The event at USDOT punctuated the Biden administration’s celebration of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Many federal, state and local agencies, as well as stakeholders and the private sector, applauded truckers for keeping the economy moving, pun intended. The goods and supplies found at supermarkets and retailers likely arrived via truck.

When she testifies before the Senate committee on freight affairs this week, Joshi will have the opportunity to explain her qualifications to fill the role of administrator at FMCSA. Responding to a questionnaire from the committee, she affirmed a commitment to promoting safety across freight corridors and noted the prominent role technology is having throughout transportation sectors.

“The agency’s top challenge and primary mission is safety. The agency must reduce the number of fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles to make our roads safer for drivers of [commercial motor vehicles] and all road users,” she said. “The agency has a critical role in forging safety partnerships with state and local government and organizations to amplify our safety enforcement, messaging and training, modernizing inspection capabilities and ensuring the current and electronic exchange of vital safety information. Adequate financial and oversight support for these programs is integral to FMCSA’s success.”

See the complete article online at Transport Topics.