WASHINGTON – Scott Darling, who left his post as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month, said he was disappointed that he was unable to fully implement a new vehicle registration system and complete the overhaul of a key safety program.
Darling, in an emotional conference call with transportation-industry reporters, called the Unified Registration System “a real game changer for the industry” because it will block commercial motor vehicle companies from reincarnating themselves repeatedly to avoid regulations.
“What I would like (the new administration) to finish doing is the full implementation of the URS system,” Darling said.
URS is used by carriers to obtain their USDOT numbers, to register their operating authority and to add or update their registration.
It is designed to simplify the process of registering, reduce paperwork and errors, and make it possible to electronically screen all applications to identify high-risk carriers, including potential reincarnated carriers.
The online system has been rolling out gradually and was expected to be fully implemented last month.
But FMCSA suspended implementation in late January, saying it needed additional time to securely migrate data from multiple legacy platforms into a new central database and to conduct further compatibility testing with its state partners.
Darling also said he would have liked to complete the overhaul of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. At the time he left office, FMCSA was waiting for the completion of a National Academy of Sciences study on CSA.
Congress has ordered FMCSA to make improvements in CSA, which Darling described as a positive tool for helping members of the commercial motor vehicle industry make improvements among themselves.
When asked whether he thought some of FMCSA’s controversial new rules –such as those involving lease/interchange agreements, speed limiters, driver training and electronic logging devices – would survive under the new administration and Republican-controlled Congress, Darling would only say that “the rules we put in place are important.”
“We’re probably never going to make everybody happy,” he said, adding that the agency always presented “workable solutions to these issues” and made sure stakeholders were kept informed and that their concerns and opinions were considered.
As he often did during his tenure at FMCSA, Darling stressed safety in his farewell chat with the media.
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve emphasized that safe trucking moves our economy, and that safe buses move our loved ones,” he said. “Improving safety cannot be done by the federal government alone, or by the states or by industry. It must be done by all of us. For me, it’s about compliance; it’s not about enforcement.”
Darling, who was FMCSA’s chief counsel before being promoted in August 2014, said he was unsure of his next career move. Deputy Administrator Daphne Jefferson will replace Darling until a long-term successor is named.
He said his advice to his successor would be to continue interacting with industry stakeholders. Darling was known to visit operator facilities and he even took a trip with a long-haul trucker last year and met with drivers at truck stops along the way.
“Get out there. Talk to folks. Figure out what their concerns are,” he said. “We need everybody’s voice.”
Darling also said one thing he learned in his time as FMCSA administrator was “how smart all the stakeholders are, and how committed they are. I’ve got a different image of truck and bus drivers, a different respect. They are truly professionals.”
