Hill Confirmed As FMCSA Chief
Oliver B.Patton
Washington Editor
The Senate has confirmed safety veteran John Hill as chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
President Bush nominated Hill after former FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg stepped down at the end of April. Before he came to the agency as chief safety officer and assistant administrator in 2003, Hill was an officer in the Indiana State Police.
At his confirmation hearing Hill said that he has dedicated his professional life to traffic safety. He said he is committed to strong leadership at FMCSA and to holding agency executives accountable for results. He said he believes strongly that an effective truck and bus safety program requires cooperation and communication between the federal agency and the states.
Hill also told the committee that he is committed to erasing the backlog of pending rules – a significant challenge he will face as he takes up the reins as the new administrator.
The agency has 19 rules in various stages of development, among them a long-awaited proposal on electronic onboard recorders to track driver hours of service (see adjacent story).
In a statement, Acting Transportation Secretary Maria Cino said, "John Hill possesses decades of experience in law enforcement and commercial motor vehicle safety. We appreciate that the Senate made it a priority to confirm John before their recess and I know he will be an exceptional FMCSA administrator."
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association all supported Hill's nomination.
Bill Graves, president and CEO of ATA, said in a statement, "John Hill has demonstrated ... understanding ... and a great willingness to bridge the operational needs of the trucking industry with the regulatory responsibilities of the agency. I look forward to working with John in his new position."
Before coming to Washington, Hill spent 29 years in law enforcement with the Indiana State Police. He twice served as commander of the ISP's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, and also commanded the Field Enforcement and Logistics Divisions.
He also was active in national transportation affairs, serving on the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems Committee and on an American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators task force on identification security. In addition, he was chair of AAMVA's International Law Enforcement Committee, and served on the AAMVAnet board.
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