GAO's Review of the Federal Highway Administration's Motor Carrier Safety Enforcement Activities

In response to a congressional request, GAO discussed certain aspects of the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety enforcement activities. GAO focused on: (1) what system is used to select motor carriers for audit of compliance with motor carrier safety regulations; (2) how third-party complaints of carrier noncompliance with safety regulations are investigated; (3) how motor carrier safety ratings are established; and (4) what actions are taken as a result of audits. GAO found that, while the Bureau has a process to select, rate, and identify appropriate action based on audits, safety investigators are inconsistent in their: (1) use of the Bureau's priority list for selecting carriers for audit; (2) response to third-party complaints; (3) development of ratings based on audits; and (4) identification of actions based on audits. Further, no action was chosen most often by safety investigators when rating a carrier unsatisfactorily.