OOIDA leader makes bid for top spot at FMCSA

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. — Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has formally notified President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team that he is interested in serving as the next administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

“Representing our nation’s small-business truckers has been my life’s work,” Spencer said in a letter dated Nov. 24. “I still aspire to do this for many years to come, but sometimes we are compelled to make a difference in other ways.”

Spencer, who became a professional truck driver in 1974 and still holds a commercial driver’s license (CDL), noted that he has seen many changes in trucking regulations during his nearly 50 years in the industry. He has worked with OOIDA since 1981.

“The system we have in place now simply does not work,” he stated in the letter.

“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,” he continued. “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.”

FMCSA’s primary mission is to reduce crashes involving large trucks, something that Spencer believes he can help accomplish, according to a Nov. 30 statement released by OOIDA.

The Trucker News Staff

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.