U.S. Government Accountability Office Archives

DOT tangles with watchdog over $1.5 billion in freight grants

10 January 2024

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WASHINGTON — A new federal watchdog report criticizes the U.S. Department of Transportation for not...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-tangles-with-watchdog-over-1-5-billion-in-freight-grants

FMCSA told to make all carrier complaint data public

19 September 2023

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WASHINGTON — A government audit has determined that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-told-to-make-all-carrier-complaint-data-public

GAO studies impact of PSR on US freight rail

29 December 2022

A newly released Government Accountability Office report lays out how precision scheduled railroading (PSR) has affected freight rail operations but doesn’t offer recommendations on what steps the industry should take next.

The report essentially summarizes the various views of stakeholders on PSR, which GAO defined as a “strategy intended to increase efficiency and reduce costs.”

Congressional leaders had directed GAO to study the effect PSR has on freight rail safety and service. The agency...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/gao-studies-impact-of-psr-on-us-freight-rail

Is US ready for more Arctic shipping?

11 December 2022

The ability of the U.S. to keep pace with the upward trend of shipping to, from and through the Arctic region is a growing concern and is exacerbated by a lack of assets being deployed in the region, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“Record low levels of sea ice have made Arctic waters navigable for longer periods of time and have increased opportunities for shipping in the region,” testified Andrew Von Ah, GAO’s director of physical infrastructure, at a Wednesday hearing...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/is-us-ready-for-more-arctic-shipping

FMCSA seeks to improve complaint process for drivers, brokers

22 February 2022

Federal regulators say they are improving a system created for truckers to register complaints of harassment and coercion by carriers and shippers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday revealed it was improving the experience for drivers and brokers who want to log complaints against “unsafe and unscrupulous companies and/or their employees” such as shippers, receivers and transportation intermediaries, into the agency’s National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB).

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmcsa-seeks-to-improve-complaint-process-for-drivers-brokers

Rear underride guards to be included in annual inspections

28 December 2020

Federal regulators want to update safety standards by including rear underride guards on the list of items that must be examined as part of required annual inspections for every truck.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed rulemaking, scheduled to be published on Tuesday, follows recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office last year and a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance seeking the change.

Federal regulations have required rear...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rear-underride-guards-to-be-included-in-annual-inspections

DOT may not be ready to take on automation safety

18 December 2020

A government watchdog report has warned that the U.S. Department of Transportation has not fully assessed whether its workforce has the skills needed to oversee automation in the trucking and rail sectors.

The report was conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and delivered on Friday to Congress. It acknowledged that DOT, over the last four years, has identified many of the skills cited by private industry groups — including the American Trucking Associations and Women in Trucking...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-may-not-be-ready-to-take-on-automation-safety

Watchdog: Lifting crude oil export ban dealt blow to Jones Act tankers

20 November 2020

The 2015 repeal of a 40-year ban on the export of crude oil from the U.S. has left a sizable dent in the U.S. tanker industry, according to a U.S. watchdog agency.

A report released Friday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) detailed how U.S. refineries – particularly those on the East Coast that had no access to cheaper transportation options such as pipelines – were left having to pay more to receive domestic crude oil on more expensive U.S.-flagged tankers and barges before the ban...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/watchdog-lifting-crude-oil-export-ban-dealt-blow-to-jones-act-tankers

DOT called out for gaps in truck safety, COVID-19 leadership

24 May 20201 May 2020

A new report from a government watchdog agency urges more action from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on truck safety oversight and in responding to pandemics such as COVID-19.

The two issues are among 16 new or existing “open priority recommendations” published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on April 30. Such recommendations are those GAO considers needing the most attention from heads of key departments or agencies.

According to GAO, “they are highlighted...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dot-called-out-for-gaps-in-truck-safety-covid-19-leadership