MCSAC seeks data on last-mile delivery vehicles

FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee wants more information on how smaller last-mile delivery vehicles are affecting safety.

The committee, which is made up of industry experts and tasked with providing recommendations to the FMCSA, completed its first of two meetings on Monday, Dec. 6. MCSAC spent the majority of the first day discussing the prevalence of smaller vehicles being used to deliver packages for such companies as Amazon and the lack of crash data for those vehicles.

FMCSA asked the committee to discuss the potential safety effects of these unregulated drivers and vehicles.

Some members of the committee suggested that truck drivers who failed a drug test or were unable to pass a U.S. DOT physical have transitioned to driving in this unregulated sector.

MCSAC Chair Lamont Byrd, director of safety and health for the Teamsters, said more information is needed and that it is simply a fact-finding mission at this point.

“I have no preconceived ideas on whether they need to be regulated for not,” Byrd said. “This is an opportunity to make an informed decision on what the next steps would be. The idea isn’t to rush down the road to regulation. That’s not on my mind.”

Driver Subcommittee

MCSAC’s meetings will continue Tuesday, Dec. 7 with a report from OOIDA President Todd Spencer, who serves as the chair of the Driver Subcommittee.

In July, the new subcommittee, which consists of more than 20 commercial drivers, met for the first time. The drivers discussed such issues as driver recruitment and retention.

“The consensus of the group is that the economics for drivers certainly need to change to be more reflective of what people are looking for in a career,” Spencer said in July. “Not a lot of people are fired up about a 70-hour work week that keeps you away from family all of the time.” LL