Complaint database needs overhaul, trucking groups tell FMCSA

Several groups related to the trucking industry are asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to modernize its National Consumer Complaint Database.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association told lawmakers earlier this year that the systems should be overhauled. Additionally, the American Trucking Associations, Truck Safety Coalition, Transportation Intermediaries Association and Small Business in Transportation Coalition recently filed comments asking for improvements.

The National Consumer Complaint Database is a place for truck drivers and others to file complaints to FMCSA about coercion, fraud and unsafe practices. Over the years, that database has been criticized for its lack of response to the complaints and its misleading name.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh spoke out about problems with the database at Senate and House subcommittee hearings this year.

Testifying in front of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines and Safety in February, Pugh said that the National Consumer Complaint Database has been unhelpful to truckers in the fight against cargo theft and freight fraud.

“FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database has proven to be an ineffective tool for motor carriers to report unscrupulous brokers and cases of freight fraud,” Pugh wrote in his submitted testimony. “Typically, truckers do not receive a satisfactory response when they call the NCCDB hotline or submit their problem via the online portal – if they receive one at all. The lack of response from FMCSA discourages truckers from using the NCCDB to submit cases, which also contributes to a lack of understanding of the scope of the problem within the agency. FMCSA must increase their response level to motor carriers after a complaint is filed but likely lacks the resources and proper authority to do so.”

During the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit hearing in March, Pugh told lawmakers that the NCCDB is where complaints “go to die” and suggested that the name be changed.

“One of the simplest improvements we have suggested is changing the name of the program to better reflect its purpose in trucking,” Pugh wrote. “Something as simple as calling the program the Truck Safety and Compliance Hotline would undoubtedly improve its utilization.”

In recent comments to the agency, ATA echoed OOIDA’s thoughts.

“ATA encourages FMCSA to deploy education and promotion for the NCCDB to improve awareness and utilization of the system,” the trucking organization wrote. “Moreover, the name National Consumer Complaint Database does not explicitly indicate its relevance to trucking and moving-related concerns, thus necessitating better public communications, marketing and/or rebranding for enhanced clarity.”

In 2023, the U.S. Government Accountability Office detailed problems with the database’s lack of transparency and made 14 recommendations to make the program and website more beneficial to truck drivers and the general public.

The Truck Safety Coalition told FMCSA that some of GAO’s findings were troubling.

“It was deeply disturbing to find that the NCCDB, according to GAO’s recent report, lacks priority within FMCSA, does not follow federal best practices regarding design, use and transparency and critically ‘lacks controls to achieve objectives and respond to risks,’” the Truck Safety Coalition wrote in its comments to the agency. “It is unacceptable that the only public-facing tool in existence to assist FMCSA in its enforcement activities has largely been ignored.” LL