FMCSA announces members of new commercial motor vehicle driver panel

January 15, 2021

Mark Schremmer

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has named the 25 people to serve on a commercial motor vehicle driver panel.

The 25 drivers will serve as a subcommittee to FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and will provide direct feedback to the agency on issuing facing commercial motor vehicle drivers.

“FMCSA believes in listening to our drivers and hearing their concerns directly,” FMCSA acting Administrator Wiley Deck said in a news release. “We know that many of the solutions to the challenges we face don’t come from Washington – they come from the hard-working men and women who are behind the wheel all over our nation. This new subcommittee to MCSAC will further help us hear from America’s commercial drivers.”

The 25 drivers are from all sectors of the commercial motor vehicle industry, including tractor-trailer drivers, straight truck drivers, motor coach drivers, hazardous material drivers, and agriculture haulers.

OOIDA President Todd Spencer, who also serves on MCSAC, will be the panel’s chairman.

“We applaud the creation of the panel,” Spencer said. “It’s long overdue. Input from the people on the frontlines is crucial to highway safety and efficiency in moving goods and people. Hearing directly from those most impacted by the traffic environment and rules and regulations can certainly be tremendous benefit to FMCSA and also lawmakers.”

Spencer said he is especially hopeful that lawmakers pay attention to what commercial motor vehicle drivers say, because members of Congress are the ones who provide the marching orders to FMCSA.

“It may be an eye-opening educational opportunity for lawmakers,” Spencer said.

Commercial motor vehicle driver panelists

  • Todd Spencer (panel chairman), OOIDA.
  • William Bennett III, UPS Freight.
  • Teddy Cranford, Waste Management of Maryland.
  • Debra Desiderato, Walkabout Transport.
  • Douglas Feathers, URS Midwest.
  • Steve Fields, YRC Freight.
  • JoAnne Forbes, MBT Worldwide.
  • Gerald Fritts Jr., American Overland Freight.
  • Joh Grosvenor, McKiernan Trucking.
  • Attila Gyorfi, RSP Express.
  • W. Scott Harrison, K Limited Carriers.
  • Rhonda Hartman, Old Dominion Freight Lines.
  • Darwin Hershberger, Hershberger Livestock.
  • Daniel Kobussen, Kobussen Buses.
  • Deb Labree, Castle Transport.
  • Alphonso Lewis, YRC Freight.
  • Don Logan, FedEx Freight.
  • Kellylynn McLaughlin, Schneider National.
  • Tina Peterson, Ravenwood Transport.
  • Stephen Pryor, Greyhound Lines.
  • H. Kevin (Brandy) Russell, Transport America.
  • Douglas Smith, Ralph Smith Co.
  • Kevin Steichen, Steichen Trucking.
  • Angelique Temple, Atlantic Bulk Carrier.
  • Desiree Wood, Real Women in Trucking.
  • Earlier this week, FMCSA also announced its 2021 members for MCSAC.

The members of that committee can be found here. LL