WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has awarded more than $471 million in Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants to help fund initiatives aimed at preventing crashes, fatalities and injuries involving commercial motor vehicles.
“Commercial vehicles are an essential part of our supply chains, our economy, and our way of life — and we must ensure that they are as safe as possible,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This funding will help save lives by making our roads safer for commercial vehicle drivers and everyone who shares the road with them.”
The MCSAP is FMCSA’s largest grant program.
It supports state, territorial and local transportation offices and law enforcement agencies in the utilization of more than 12,000 officers to increase education, outreach and safety activities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided for a 61% increase in the amount of funding available through MCSAP grants, giving states and territories more money than ever before to support roadway safety through enhanced driver and vehicle inspections, traffic enforcement, investigations, data collection, and public education and awareness.
FMCSA officials say the goal of the MCSAP is to reduce CMV-involved crashes, fatalities and injuries “through consistent, uniform and effective CMV safety programs that support innovative commercial driver training, safety inspections and enhanced compliance and enforcement initiatives.”
“These grants align with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy and ensure we are all working towards the same goal: zero fatalities on our roadways,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “FMCSA’s core mission is safety, and we are committed to working with our state and territorial partners to enhance the safety of our roadways.”
Hutcheson and other leaders from FMCSA met with MCSAP grant recipients last month to further align efforts and best maximize the use of grant funding.
To be eligible for the grants, a state or territory must have an FMCSA-approved Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP). FMCSA partners with grantees to support consistent, uniform and effective CMV safety programs.
All states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories receive funding annually through MCSAP grants. A revised MCSAP formula issued in 2020 promotes stability in the size of the awards to ensure that no state’s percentage of MCSAP funding will decrease by more than 3 percent, or increase by more than 5 percent, each year.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
yes it’s a good idea but will not work well than giving drivers more break time than don’t use the driving time
anytime the government is involved the supply chain is damaged.
sorry the government is a terrible manager.
free market works and there are thousands of confusing regulations as is look at the numbers on the side of the trucks now.
Your not saving lives you use safety as a way to tap into the monetary system! so would not call it a grant call it a foot in the door for more money kind of like the 85000 new IRS agents with side arms.
complete joke dot already treats us like criminals out here this will just make it worse can’t wait to give up my cdl worse damn career I ever had
I agree with the above comments, instead of handing out $$ to the O/O that are hurting due to the rates decrease..helping out other countries $$ SMH America What a Joke!
when did common since cost so much
yeah right,It’s a big game.They harass the experience drivers to run them off to bring in new inexperienced drivers to repeat the process #Let a baby cook a thanksgiving meal and after you change their diaper say by the way don’t burn down the house we’re gone. #P.s lock the doors #wtf🤷😞😢
Your turn over rate is your biggest safety issue you the government and the famous ATA alliance has spent years. money to create a big trucking mess. Hours of service has been a mess elds have been a mess sleep apnea has been a mess split speed limits have been a mess parking is a mess not being able to use the left lane in cities has been a mess training has been a mess poor driver treatment has been a mess bad companies have been a mess and many other laws tossed into the industry are a mess great drivers have been run out or run in the ground what’s up setting the people that we trusted elected have allowed this to happen year after year to our drivers our country does not deserve to have the great drivers they once had they have destroyed every inch of that Congress you should be ashamed ATA labor department fmcsa the alliance and now we are fighting speed limiters what a way to throw more gas on the fire they say they want a good clean safe industry but they continue their mess in the name of safety which safety is all about money.
I have been on these roads for 28 years now. It seems about 5 to 8 years aho, this industry took a HUGE turn for the worse. Once ELD, FMCSA regulations that continue to climb and lower rates brought on a new age truck driver. I see the worst drivers out here now. Mainly in southern ARIZONA!!!! These drivers drive extremly wrecklessly and for some reason, they think they have to set the cruise control in at 85mph and fuck anybody that gets in their way. I feel regulations has a lot to do with it. FMCSA may not beleive it but us as truck drivers has lost our means of making money through BEING RUSHED through our hours to get things done!!!! I do not want speed limiters to take part of the regulations because it will cause more DEATHS but if they save a persons life from a truck driver killing them, then bring it on!! I am set to retire next year anyways. The industry has gone to hell and will NEVER be the same again
Ridiculous! Try making companies pay more to drivers who sacrifice it all and you’ll get less accidents. I would never tell anyone I know to become a truck driver. 30 yrs out here, ….nowhere else to go. Poor health and away from your families is all this road has to offer you
Why is it always only TRUCK DRIVERS ? WHY ?? Isn’t this PROFILING Mr Buttajudge ???
Why don’t you pull the AGGRESSIVE drivers into the PROFILING STATIONS ?
Pull around back Mr 4 wheeler and bring in your drivers license , registration and insurance information while we check your brakes , lights , tires , steering and pop your trunk so we can check for meth .
I’ve seen cars in Shitcago drive down the shoulder and weaving in and out of traffic doing 70 – 80 mph . But no , let’s steal from the truck drivers and turn that ” OPEN ” light on and make some money .
It seems to me as just a way to get money to specific companies that will not really do much of anything that contributes to truck safety. Read the article insert below and tell me where the emphasis on safety needs to be centered.
“Based on information from the American Truck Association (ATA), about 80% of truck accidents across the country can be linked more to a driver’s mistakes than those of the truck driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted its own study and found the percentage of car-caused truck accidents to be closer to 90%. If we assume a margin of error for each study and round to the average, then it is probably safe to say that 85% of all truck accidents are primarily caused by a negligent motorist, not the truck driver behind the wheel of the big rig.”
I disagree with all the comments above except the last two, it’s not the truck or the driver most of the time.It’s the dumb m&$#)rf)&ck$r in the four wheeler and the gready mother f&$ker in Congress. Give more $$$ to the O/O’s and the 20+year veterans and let us do our jobs.
I disagree with all the comments above except the last two, it’s not the truck or the driver most of the time.It’s the dumb m&$#)rf)&ck$r in the four wheeler and the gready mother f&$ker in Congress. Give more $$$ to the O/O’s and the 20+year veterans and let us do our jobs.