On November 24th, 2020, Todd Spencer, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President and CEO issued a letter to President-elect Joe Biden. Spencer announced his official interest in becoming the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The FMCSA is involved with the regulation of the trucking industry, and many drivers – both owner-ops and company drivers – have grievances about the way the industry is treated.
In this article, we take a look at why Spencer wants to fulfill the position, as well as what the OOIDA President and CEO brings to the table.
Experience of the Past FMCSA Administrator
Back in 2000, the United States government recognized a need to establish a separate division to handle the unique needs of those operating large vehicles. As a result, the FMCSA was carved out from the Department of Transportation. Since then, various administrators have been appointed to lead the twenty-year-old department.
Most of the appointed leaders have shared similar experience, being involved with state-level Departments of Transportation or other bureaucracies. These administrators then lack experience that is specific to the trucking industry – the same industry that forms the foundation of the entire US economy. Trucking cannot be regulated like other civilian four-wheelers.
Unique Perspectives Generated via Direct Experience
Given the history of FMCSA leadership and experience, Spencer requested to head the FMCSA during the Biden presidency. In the letter issued by the CEO and President of OOIDA, Spencer outlines his four decades off direct experience. A few highlights are listed below.
- Became a truck driver in 1974
- Started working at OOIDA in 1981
- Maintained position during the era when the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Motor Carrier oversaw the trucking industry
- Still has a valid CDL to this day
Other noteworthy qualifications Spencer has and did not mention in the letter are listed below.
- Became and Owner-Operator in 1976
- Elected to OOIDA Board of Directors in 1978
- Secured the OOIDA Executive Vice President position in 1992
Leveraging his own over-the-road (OTR) experience, Spencer outlined a detailed case as to why the unique industry perspective is needed in the FMCSA. From there, the letter states the lack of trucking knowledge in the branch correlate with a plethora of regulations that seem to do more harm than good.
“The system we have in place now simply does not work. We have never had more regulations
than we do today, and we have never had more enforcement of or compliance with those
regulations, yet highway safety continues to trend in the wrong direction. This is because
regulations often exclude input or direct involvement from those behind the wheel of a truck, and
they almost never reflect the diverse operational nature of the trucking industry.”
In the event President-elect Joe Biden appoints Spencer to the requested position, the transition from OOIDA President and CEO to FMCSA Administrator could occur in as little as six months.
To read the complete letter issued by Spencer, go here.