Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt recently appointed Matt Herndon, United Petroleum Transport president and CEO, as chair of the newly created State Task Force on Motor Carrier Regulation and Enforcement.
The seven-member task force will evaluate the regulatory environment of the trucking industry and make recommendations to the Oklahoma legislature on how to improve it, UPT reported. Herndon has more than 30 years of experience in trucking, serving in high-level positions with some of the country’s largest trucking companies, including U.S. Express and PAM Transport.
“I am honored to serve as chair of this task force,” Herndon said in a statement. “I look forward to working with other industry leaders and state agencies to further advance our industry while keeping Oklahoma’s roads safe.”
The task force includes two state legislators, representatives of several state agencies, and cabinet secretaries. The task force’s rules and stated goals were included in House Bill 2166, which passed during the previous legislative session and was signed into law by Stitt. Task force goals include evaluating and making recommendations on:
- Regulatory, licensing, and permitting programs applicable to the motor carrier industry
- State law enforcement’s regulation of public safety and enforcement of laws applicable to the motor carrier industry
- Civil and criminal enforcement mechanisms of state laws governing the motor carrier industry
- Combining within a state agency any motor carrier regulatory programs or law enforcement functions
- Any other matters determined to be relevant to the purpose of the task force act
A report of the task force’s findings and recommendations will be submitted to the legislature by Dec. 1, 2023.
“As vice chair of the House Transportation Committee, I’m very interested to see what this task force reports,” Oklahoma Rep. Jim Grego said in a local report.