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Government Agency To Investigate FMCSA’s Carrier Review Process

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The Office of the Inspector General this week said the agency questions the FMCSA’s “timeliness and effectiveness” of reviews of “high profile crashes.”

According to the OIG, in 2013, the NTSB investigated 4 carriers involved in crashes that resulted in the deaths of 25 individuals and injured 83.

The NTSB’s investigation found the FMCSA conducted safety just 1-5 days prior to each of the accidents, though they didn’t find “certain preexisting safety deficiencies or act on others until after the crashes.”

In 2014, a “high-risk” carrier was involved in a fatal crash in Illinois. “Despite the carrier’s risk status, FMSCA did not conduct an investigation,” the OIG states.

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin called for the FMCSA’s investigative practices for high-risk carriers to be investigated.

In addition, the 2015 appropriations legislation also called on the OIG to review the FMCSA’s investigation process.

“Accordingly, we are initiating this audit. Our audit objective is to assess FMCSA’s processes for ensuring that reviews of motor carriers flagged for investigation are timely and adequate,” the OIG states.

In a letter to the FMCSA, the OIG states the agency begins to immediately begin the audit.

“…Our audit objective is to assess FMCSA’s processes for ensuring that reviews of motor carriers flagged for investigation are timely and adequate,” the letter states.

The OIG’s letter to the FMCSA can be viewed below.

[gview file=”https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FMCSA%20Investigative%20Practices%20for%20High%20Risk%20Carriers%20Announcement%5E5-5-15.pdf”]

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