BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Anne S. Ferro, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, provided an update last month on what bus and truck operators can expect in the months ahead in the way of new regulations and changes to existing rules.

She spoke at the 10th annual PeopleNet User Conference here.

"Going forward, we want to increasingly focus our attention on those companies who need it," said Ferro. "We want to get bad actors off the road."

To accomplish that, Ferro said her agency is using the data it is collecting via CSA and other means to "make sure we are focusing our attention in the right direction."

Persistent violators can expect the agency to use its imminent hazard authority and all other available tools to bring unsafe operations into compliance or to shut them down, she promised.

Ferro also pledged to continue working to be "fair" by making vehicle inspections more uniform across the country. "One third of inspections are clean, by the way," she said.

The FMCSA has a number of revisions to existing regulations, as well as new rulemaking initiatives, underway, and Ferro provided updates on some of the most significant pending actions, including electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs), Safety Fitness Determination, and crash accountability.

"The Safety Fitness Determination rule is due next year," she said.

Essentially, this rule would allow the FMCSA to hand out safety ratings based on safety data from crashes, destination and roadside inspections, and violation histories rather than having to use the standard compliance review. A major goal is to be able to assess the safety performance of more operators by reducing the number of labor-intensive compliance reviews.

Crash accountability is another hot button issue.

"We all know that not all crashes (involving commercial vehicles) are the fault of the commercial driver," Ferro said, "but we also know that crash history and unsafe driving are predictive of future (accidents).

"It will take about a year before we publish more modifications," she said, but made it clear that changes were coming.

"CSA is an enforcement platform," she noted. "It will continue to evolve. It is a dynamic program for a dynamic industry."

When it comes to electronic onboard recorders, Ferro said publication of the much-anticipated rule is on target for the first quarter of next year.

"The OOIDA lawsuit sent us back to the drawing board on driver harassment," she said. (See Sept. 15, 2011, Bus & Motorcoach News.)

"We have also been working to identify what the right technical specifications should be and looking at the supporting documents requirements, as well. The entire rulemaking process will take about two years, but "it is definitely on the way."

Other measures Ferro expects to go forward include the creation of a "drug and alcohol clearing house" to enable operators to know if a driver applicant has previously tested positive or refused to be tested for drug and alcohol use.

So-called "reincarnated" companies have also captured the attention of FMCSA and Congress, which has included a number of safety-related provisions in its MAP-21 Surface Transportation Authorization bill. (See July 15 and Aug. 1 Bus & Motorcoach News.)

It is still too easy for companies that are put out of business for safety violations to start over again under a new name and DOT license, Ferro observed.

The new highway law also calls for the FMCSA to establish standards for an "employer notification system" that would alert companies when an existing employee has been cited for a civil or criminal action, including for moving traffic violations.

Some states already have such systems in place, provided on a subscription basis, and Ferro encouraged companies to make use of them.

"The crux of the matter is this," she said, "we do have a very powerful safety mission. (We want to support safe carriers, eliminate unsafe performers and help to create a level competitive playing field.)"