Statement on Confirmation of Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation

The Institute for Safer Trucking congratulates Secretary Sean Duffy on his confirmation to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation. We look forward to working with Secretary Duffy and his team to implement meaningful reforms that will save lives and strengthen safety across our nation’s roads.

As fatal crashes involving large trucks continue to take thousands of lives each year, we urge the Department to prioritize key rulemakings and long-overdue reforms. Finalizing the rule to require automatic emergency braking (AEB) in all new large trucks is a critical step forward in reducing crash severity and preventing collisions altogether. In addition, the Department should mandate the use of speed limiters on large trucks and ensure those limiters are set at safe speeds that reflect the standard industry practices of our nation’s safest and most profitable trucking companies.

We also stongly encourage Secretary Duffy to support increasing the minimum insurance requirements for interstate motor carriers, which have remained unchanged for over four decades and are now woefully inadequate given the rising costs of crash-related damages and medical care.

Equally important is the need for reforms at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Improvements to the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program can help ensure new motor carriers meet high safety standards and weed out bad actors before a crash instead of after. Furthermore, creating a robust Beyond Compliance program would recognize companies that go above and beyond regulatory requirements by investing in advanced safety technologies and practices, which would help incentivize other companies to follow their lead.

We are eager to work in partnership with Secretary Duffy to implement critical safety reforms and remain committed to working alongside the Department of Transportation to advance data-driven, proven safety solutions that protect everyone on our roads.