The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) was first authorized in the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982. The MCSAP is a formula-based grant program that provides federal funding to state and local agencies to carry out commercial vehicle safety and enforcement activities nationwide. These agencies work together with FMCSA to reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving CMVs. Congress authorized the initial MCSAP funding level in 1984, allocating a total of $10 million for all states. Forty years later, in 2024, the federal funding share grew to $487 Million and now comprises approximately half of FMCSA’s annual budget. Unfortunately, a recent DOT Inspector General report has highlighted gaps in the FMCSA’s oversight procedures, rendering the monitoring and assessment of the program’s success unreliable.

As a condition of funding, grant recipients have to adhere to the requirements outlined in 49 CFR Part 350, and more specifically, §350.207, which details what conditions a State must meet to qualify for MCSAP funds. Over the years, MCSAP has undergone numerous changes, but at its core, the primary goal has remained consistent – to reduce crashes related to CMVs. FMCSA relies on the states to carry out many duties in furtherance of this goal and has oversight responsibilities over the states through the Commercial Vehicle Safety Plans (CVSPs). States are required to submit these plans for review every three years but must update them annually.

The Inspector General’s investigation and report regarding FMCSA’s oversight of the MCSAP was conducted to review three primary activities relating to FMCSA’s oversight:

1. Policies and procedures for monitoring MCSAP grant recipients
2. Annual risk assessments and monitoring plans for MCSAP recipients
3. Tracking of recipients’ achievement of safety goals

The results of the investigation identified the following:

1. FMCSA’s Division Offices do not always follow the Agency’s MCSAP monitoring policies and procedures
2. FMCSA’s annual risk assessments and monitoring plans do not sufficiently account for MCSAP-related grant risks
3. FMCSA faces challenges prioritizing Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan goals and performance tracking.

There were five recommendations issued to FMCSA for addressing these findings, including one to “Revise guidelines regarding:

• The impact of Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) goal performance for creating a clear line between the performance of CVSP goals and when to take enforcement action, and;
• CVSP goal performance tracking to urge Division Offices to document oversight of CVSP goals; identify which systems to review and how often to review them; and follow-up with the State grantee when needed.”

In STC’s view, the MCSAP has become overly complicated for federal personnel to oversee and administer and places significant administrative burdens on the states. While there certainly needs to be accountability in the system and proper checks and balances to ensure the public’s tax dollars are being spent wisely and are properly accounted for, the overarching goal of the MCSAP—to save lives—sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Sometimes, simpler is better. Focusing on and funding activities that have been proven to impact crashes needs to be at the forefront. Ensuring that progress is effectively monitored and measured and that successes are shared and replicated should be the focus. We still see too many deaths on our highways in large truck and bus crashes. The government expects the industry to do all it can to reduce crashes, and the public expects the same level of accountability from the government to fulfill its role.