Is FMCSA’s Piwowarski assuming too much?

Avatar photo

from Steve Piwowarski of the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (We give $220,000 worth of equipment to people we don’t really know – we assume a lot, we assume too much.” ) posted on www.trucknews.com, with all due respect to Mr. Piwowarski, whom I feel is very knowledgeable with regard to compliance and highway safety, as well as many other aspects of the transportation industry, I feel he has commented on something he is ill equipped to discuss. Not to say that I have all, or even any, answers to the problem that he directs our attention to here. Unfortunately, it’s something that all of us in the trucking industry are stuck with now, due to circumstances beyond our control. “Our” being the trucking industry in North America, incidentally. I’m sure that if you spoke to any management or ownership representative of any trucking company, they would be more than willing to tell you that this makes them nervous as well. Unfortunately, in today’s business environment, to be static is to die. Thus, companies must grow, and hope to keep pace somewhat with the capacity required by the manufacturing sector. We do all the checks we possibly can, or at least those of us who care do. Then the government knocks us back a step with something like the current privacy laws. Obviously, this doesn’t make things any easier for us to do background checks on potential drivers. Kind of a conundrum, isn’t it? I understand where Steve is coming from, but I think he should consider the other side of what he is saying as well.

Joe Pollard

Cowan Insurance Brokers

Avatar photo

Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*