Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

Now now behave. Straighten up. Johnny pull up your sox. Paul, tuck in your shirt. Mary get rid of the gum. Children, this is Anne Ferro, the Obama administration’s choice to head up the FMCSA – the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She’s your new mommy. Smile now.

Drivers, if nominated, she will be determining how you do your job the next four years. She and her (future) unimaginative bureaucratic agency, part of the Department of Transportation, will have their hands deep into your pockets as they tell you how and when you can and will drive your truck, when you should sleep and where concurrently pushing through NAFTA insuring Mexican trucking becomes a reality and if you can have a CDL based on your BMI – body mass index. And drivers, you are powerless to do anything about it, just like children.

President Obama might be changing some things somewhere, but certainly NOT in trucking. It’s just like I keep saying: “EYES WIDE SHUT!” This choice to head the FMCSA is absurd. It is uber anti-change. Ferro is the President of the Maryland Motor Truck Association. She oversees (directing a staff of 5) member recruitment and retention, product discount/business services, education and safety training, and conference and event planning. Ferro obtained her undergraduate degree from St. John’s College, served in the Peace Corps in West Africa and completed a Masters in Public Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

She says about trucking: “”It’s a backbone to our economy and way of life that’s invisible to a lot of people. We don’t see it as bringing in the sunglasses, or the food, the products we order online – you name it. It’s a lot of fun to be in an industry so essential to our quality of life.” Prior to joining the MMTA, she spent 11 years as an Associate Administrator and Administrator with the Motor Vehicle Administration. That’s drivers licenses and auto tags folks.

According to The Journal of Commerce (Bill Cassidy) “Teamsters President James Hoffa slammed Ferro for allegedly supporting of hours of service rules that allow truckers to drive 11 hours a day. The Teamsters have challenged those rules in court.” No surprise that the ATA – the American Trucking Association – the mouthpiece for the evil trucking companies – not drivers – wholly supports her. OOIDA is presently doing what they do best for your $45 membership fee – drafting a letter to the Obama Administration supporting her nomination. It should be mailed soon.

PS & FYI – John Hill, former head of the FMCSA, from 1974-2003, was a “member “of the Indiana State Police. Twice during this time he served as Commander of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. From June 2003 until his appointment as Administrator, Hill was the FMCSA’s Chief Safety Officer and Assistant Administration.

Post sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FMCSA, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamsters, http://www.teamster.org/, http://www.mmtanet.com/, smartwomanonline.com/…/port-woman-of-the-year/, http://www.joc.com/node/411740