U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today that Joseph M. Clapp, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will leave the U.S. Department of Transportation next month. "I truly appreciate the service Joe has so generously given the country, and while we will miss his counsel, I know he is looking forward to resuming the retirement he was enjoying before his call to service," Secretary Mineta said. Since his appointment at FMCSA, Clapp focused on meeting transportation safety requirements for implementing the truck and bus provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Regulations published while Clapp was administrator included important rules specified in the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. Among them, a final rule that strengthened the licensing requirements and sanctions in the commercial driver's license program. Annette M. Sandberg, who has served as deputy administrator of the Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since Feb. 11, 2002, will serve as the FMCSA's deputy adminstrator, effective today.