FMCSA’s FY 2024-2027 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) responsible for regulating and ensuring the safety of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and drivers. As part of its mandate, FMCSA develops strategic plans to guide its operations and initiatives. In this article, we will explore FMCSA’s FY 2024-2027 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives, highlighting their alignment with government strategic planning requirements, accomplishments from the previous strategic plan, administrator’s priorities, and the proposed goals and objectives for the upcoming years.

Government Strategic Planning Requirements

FMCSA’s strategic plan is developed by various government strategic planning requirements. These requirements provide a framework for agencies to communicate progress in achieving their missions and align their strategies with national goals. The following key requirements shape FMCSA’s strategic planning process:

1. Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) of 1993: This act established strategic planning, performance planning, and performance reporting as essential components for agencies to communicate their progress in achieving their missions.

2. GPRA Modernization Act (GPRAMA) of 2010: GPRAMA amended GPRA to align strategic planning within one year of Presidential inauguration. It mandates the development of a new department strategic plan by February 2022 and recommends a new FMCSA strategic plan by 2024.

3. Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: This act requires all agencies to develop evidence-based policy and evaluation plans as part of their regular business, ensuring decisions are informed by data and research.

FY 2021-2023 FMCSA Strategic Plan Accomplishments

Before delving into the FY 2024-2027 goals and objectives, it’s important to acknowledge FMCSA’s accomplishments from the previous strategic plan. The agency made significant progress in several areas, particularly in enhancing safety, collaboration, innovation, mission support, and organizational excellence. Some notable accomplishments include:

1. Safety:

   • Focused enforcement on roadway work zones, resulting in a decrease of 18% in work zone fatal crashes involving large trucks between FY 2019 and FY 2020.
   • Implemented the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to identify CDL holders who have tested positive for controlled substances and prevent carriers from hiring disqualified drivers.
   • Conducted an increased number of compliance reviews and roadside inspections, resulting in the identification of acute violations and drivers being placed out of service.

2. Collaboration:

   • Awarded significant grant funding to state and local governments to support traffic enforcement inspections and increase compliance reviews by 50% by 2027.
   • Worked with various federal agencies, including NHTSA, FHWA, FRA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and industry stakeholders, to develop uniform standards on interactions between automated CMVs and public safety officials and address cyber threats.

3. Innovation:

   • Launched a CMV seat belt awareness campaign to improve safety. The campaign aimed to address the issue of drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts, contributing to fatal crashes.
   • Initiated research studies on various factors affecting CMV safety, including human factors, fleet management, advanced technologies, and large truck crash causal factors, to improve safety outcomes.

4. Mission Support:

   • Implemented strategies to streamline operations and reduce costs, such as category management in acquisitions, increased procurement from small, disadvantaged businesses, and adoption of automated solutions for analyzing workforce trends.
   • Prioritized human resources (HR) initiatives, including recruitment efforts, workforce needs assessment, and partnerships for diversity and outreach activities.

FMCSA Strategic Goals Alignment to Current DOT Strategic Goals

FMCSA’s strategic goals are aligned with the current strategic goals of the DOT. The alignment ensures synergy between FMCSA’s objectives and the broader objectives of the transportation sector. The key strategic goals and their alignment are as follows:

1. Modernization:

   • FMCSA aims to promote a national CMV safety culture, deliver safety programs in underserved communities, enhance compliance with safety regulations, and collaborate with state and industry partners on new safety strategies. This aligns with the DOT’s goals of safety, equity, climate and sustainability, and transformation.

2. Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness:

   • FMCSA focuses on evaluating the safety impacts of allowing drivers under 21 to operate CMVs, addressing barriers to recruiting and retaining qualified drivers, improving data exchange between states, and protecting consumers from bad actors in the moving industry. These goals support the DOT’s objective of strengthening America’s economy and optimizing transportation systems.

3. Collaboration and Organizational Excellence:

   • FMCSA strives to enhance communication channels, develop partnerships across federal agencies, optimize grant programs, and foster constructive relationships with stakeholders. These objectives align with the DOT’s emphasis on collaboration, equity, and organizational excellence.

FY 2024-2027 FMCSA Strategic Goals and Objectives

Building upon the achievements of the previous strategic plan, FMCSA has formulated its strategic goals and objectives for the FY 2024-2027 period. The following are the proposed goals and their corresponding objectives:

1. Safety:
     Goal: Reduce Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) related fatalities and injuries.
     Objectives:

   • Promote a national CMV safety culture through upstream-focused activities.
   • Advance safety programs in underserved and underrepresented communities.
   • Ensure increased levels of compliance with federal safety regulations.
   • Collaborate with state and industry partners on new safety strategies.

2. Collaboration:
     Goal: Enhance collaboration with stakeholders and promote a safety culture.
     Objectives:

   • Improve communication channels between FMCSA, industry, safety advocates, and other stakeholders.
   • Develop partnerships across federal agencies to promote safety for motor carriers, CMVs, and drivers.
   • Optimize the return on investment of grant programs.
   • Foster constructive relationships within stakeholder communities.

3. Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness:
     Goal: Strengthen economic strength and global competitiveness.
     Objectives:

   • Determine the safety impacts of allowing drivers under 21 to operate CMVs by collecting and analyzing data from specialized training programs.
   • Address barriers to recruiting and retaining qualified CMV drivers.
   • Improve data exchange between states and accuracy of Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) driver records.
   • Act against bad actors in the moving industry to protect consumers.

4. Equity:
     Goal: Promote equity and diversity in the transportation industry.
     Objectives:

   • Ensure outreach practices provide equal opportunities and strive to close representation gaps.
   • Collaborate with partner agencies to centralize equity and inclusion in funding decisions.
   • Reduce inequities across programs through data-driven research.
   • Employ strategies to reduce crash rates and injuries in underserved communities.

5. Modernization:
     Goal: Foster innovation and technological advancements.
     Objectives:

   • Develop evidence-based proposals for safety policies and programs.
   • Promote improved data-sharing practices between federal, state, local, and industry partners.
   • Modernize IT infrastructure and communications.
   • Advance and deploy new safety technologies and practices.

6. Organizational Excellence:
     Goal: Enhance workforce development and program delivery.
     Objectives:

   • Support career progression through professional and leadership development.
   • Promote retention by inspiring a values-based culture and a performance-driven workforce.
   • Implement strategies to advance equity in recruitment, hiring, and promotions.
   • Ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability in program delivery.

Next Steps

With the formulation of the FY 2024-2027 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives, FMCSA will proceed with the implementation of its strategies and initiatives. The next steps may include:

1. Development of detailed action plans for each goal and objective, specifying timelines, responsibilities, and key performance indicators.
2. Allocation of resources and budget to support the implementation of the strategic plan.
3. Monitoring and evaluation of progress through regular reporting and performance measurement.
4. Collaboration with stakeholders, industry partners, and other government agencies to achieve the desired outcomes.
5. Continuous review and refinement of the strategic plan based on emerging trends, technological advancements, and changing regulatory landscape.

FMCSA’s FY 2024-2027 Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives reflect the agency’s commitment to promoting safety, collaboration, equity, modernization, and organizational excellence. By aligning with government strategic planning requirements, building upon previous accomplishments, and addressing key priorities, FMCSA aims to enhance the safety and efficiency of the commercial motor vehicle industry. Through the implementation of these strategic goals and objectives, FMCSA will continue to fulfill its mission of ensuring the safe operation of CMVs and protecting the public on the nation’s roads.

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