FMCSA Targets Trucks Without Authority
PATRICIA SMITH
SENIOR EDITOR
Trucks caught providing interstate for-hire services without proper federal authority can now be ordered off the road.
All carriers operating in interstate commerce are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but interstate carriers who provide for-hire transportation must also obtain the proper operating authority. Once a key element of economic regulation, the process of granting authority now focuses on compliance with insurance and safety requirements.
Fearing what it says may be a loophole used to circumvent safety rules, FMCSA recently published an interim final rule that specifically prohibits a motor vehicle from providing interstate for-hire transportation without proper authority. If a vehicle is found to be operating without authority, or beyond the scope of authority granted, it will automatically be placed out of service and the carrier will be subject to additional penalties.
Enforcement will be done mainly through roadside inspections since, as FMCSA noted, it depends on the ability to catch violators "in the act."
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