Improving Highway Safety: Beyond the Blame Game

The images from a recent CBS Sunday Morning segment on highway safety were heartbreaking. I was left dismayed and disappointed—because in focusing on the wrong culprit, the network squandered a genuine opportunity to advance the conversation on making our roads safer.

Instead, it defaulted to a blame game, disconnected from the realities the industry has grappled with for two decades.

This issue goes beyond liability debates. At its core is a federal agency within the Department of Transportation that has, for years, failed to adequately address safety shortcomings despite repeated calls for stronger oversight. These failures affect the broader freight network that supports the U.S. economy. When safety gaps persist, they erode trust, increase costs, and expose vulnerabilities across the supply chain.

Clarifying the Role of Freight Brokers

A key flaw in the CBS segment was its misrepresentation of roles within the freight system—particularly the role of freight brokers. Brokers are intermediaries who connect shippers with motor carriers, helping freight move efficiently by matching supply and demand.

This function reduces inefficiencies and can even decrease the total number of trucks needed on the road. However, brokers do not own trucks, employ drivers, or control operational aspects such as training, maintenance, or compliance.

Those responsibilities belong solely to motor carriers, which are federally regulated entities. Oversight of these carriers is the responsibility of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency tasked with ensuring safety across trucking and motor coach industries. Confusing these distinct roles not only misleads the public but also undermines efforts to address real safety challenges.

A significant concern is the lack of comprehensive oversight. More than 94% of federally authorized trucking companies operate without an FMCSA safety rating. This means the vast majority avoid full federal safety audits. Without consistent evaluation, unsafe operators face little scrutiny, creating a major regulatory blind spot.

Addressing Regulatory Gaps

The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) has long advocated for reforms to address these gaps. Key proposals include publishing a high-risk carrier list and modernizing the FMCSA’s safety rating system. These changes would improve transparency, enhance data accuracy, and give industry participants better tools to avoid unsafe carriers. However, progress has been slow, often hindered by resistance from segments of the trucking industry despite growing urgency.

The notion that freight brokers should be responsible for evaluating carrier safety is not only unrealistic but counterproductive. Brokers lack the authority and tools to enforce safety standards, conduct audits, or ensure regulatory compliance. Assigning them this responsibility diverts attention from the entities legally and operationally accountable for safety outcomes. 

Worse, it risks weakening the system by shifting focus away from necessary regulatory reforms.

Brokers cannot mandate driver training, enforce maintenance protocols, or monitor hours-of-service compliance. Expecting them to do so is both inaccurate and distracting. This misplaced focus allows systemic issues—particularly gaps in federal oversight—to persist unaddressed, increasing risks on the road.

Taking a Targeted Approach

Improving highway safety requires a clear, targeted approach. Strengthening federal oversight is essential. This includes equipping the FMCSA with the resources and authority needed to conduct timely audits, maintain reliable safety data, and remove high-risk carriers before accidents occur. It also requires holding carriers accountable for driver qualifications, operational standards, and data integrity.

At the same time, reforms must reflect the complexity of today’s supply chain rather than relying on outdated frameworks that allow unsafe actors to operate unchecked. The stakes are too high to accept anything less than meaningful change.

TIA and its members continue to work with policymakers and regulators to push for practical solutions, including greater transparency in safety data and stronger accountability measures. These efforts aim to enhance safety across the industry and prevent future tragedies.

Ultimately, honoring those affected by roadway accidents requires an honest assessment of where the system is failing and a commitment to fixing those failures. Misplacing responsibility may generate headlines, but it will not improve safety. Real progress depends on clarity, accountability, and a focused commitment to reforms that can make highways safer for everyone.