Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Chief Derek Barrs addressed a crowd of truckers in Washington D.C. parked up for the annual TenFour D.C. event on the National Mall, addressing fraud, non-domiciled CDLs, and "sham" CDL schools.
Barrs said that thanks to the agency's crackdown on non-domiciled CDLs, they're now removing drivers at a fast pace.
"We have around 1,000 or so a month [non-domiciled CDLs] that are coming off the rolls where these CDLs were issued improperly," said Barrs.
He also didn't shy away from the topic of fraud.
"Fraud in this industry is rampant," he said, highlighting FMCSA and the broader Department of Transportation's new partnership with federal law enforcement and state prosecutors.
"We do not have criminal authority," he said of FMCSA. "But we see things that are happening, and we have strong partnerships to go after these bad actors."
DOT recently announced a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security. The White House anti-fraud task force and nine state Attorneys General gathered in Detroit to announce the "Joint Task Force Crossroads of America."
Part of that partnership was shutting down "sham" CDL schools and directing DHS to investigate DMV corruption and companies that hire "illegal drivers."
One example of that might be Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently naming and shaming a carrier whose driver was busted driving without a CDL.
"If you do not think there’s a network of criminal actors in the trucking industry, get your head out of the sand," said Barrs.
"And brokers, too!" a call came out from the audience.
Barrs took questions, including from Overdrive contributor Long Haul Paul Marhoefer (also performing throughout the TenFour D.C. event), who asked about guidance related to 49 CFR 395.2 and intrusive broker calls at all hours of the night.
[Related: Brokers' 3 a.m. calls -- 'Unless there's been a death in the family, a text will suffice']
Some brokers will call you "two or three times during your break demanding an update on their load even when you have tracking," said Marhoefer.
A chorus of voices from the crowd confirmed they'd been there, too.
"Do you personally feel that it is in the interest of FMCSA for drivers not to be interrupted?" he asked.
Barrs didn't commit to issuing any new regulatory guidance. (As Marhoefer pointed out, current guidance about interruptions of rest periods applies to motor carriers, no mention of third-party brokers.)
"There's a requirement for you to be on rest break because of regulations. I think that answers the question," Barrs said. "If you are on your break and resting when you should be sleeping, sounds like you shouldn’t be interrupted."
Barrs committed to continue raising the bar for entry, too, telling operators to stay tuned for new Entry Level Driver Training updates beyond the FMCSA's policing of those "sham" schools he mentioned.
"Shouldn’t it mean something to you?" he asked of the CDL credential. "I take pride in the certificates and the work that I have."
A CDL shouldn't be given out like a piece of candy, he added, asking his question a different way. "Aren’t you all professionals? It’s time for everybody to start acting like that and holding people accountable. People not doing the right thing? You remove them...
"There’s more to be done, and the agency will continue to work on those areas."
