Time for a little Q&A - CSA Style!

Did you know that the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) website has been launched for 3 years now?? And the CSA program was officially rolled out over 6 months ago now? Taking all this into account, we thought it would be a good time to go over some Q&A’s on the CSA. We have chosen the top three Q&As from the CSA website that we find most useful for drivers:

Q: How does the Safety Measurement System (SMS) handle crashes when motor carriers are not at fault?

A: The structure of the SMS does not automatically determine or consider crash accountability. Recordable crash reports that States submit to the FMCSA do not include an accountability determination. Therefore, motor carriers are identified for possible intervention based on recordable crashes without consideration of accountability. This approach is taken because data analysis has historically indicated that motor carriers who are involved in crashes, regardless of accountability, are likely to be involved in more future crashes that carriers who are not. Past crashes have become good predictors for future crashes.

Q: How does the SMS handle warning tickets for speeding?

A: The Unsafe Driving Basic of the CSA is currently calculated using all recorded moving (speeding) violations without regard to whether a citation was issued. Analysis have determined that there is a strong relationship between high scores in the Unsafe Driving BASIC and future crashes.

To address concerns in the industry, the FMCSA is considering the addition of a simple Yes/No field to indicate whether a citation was issued in conjunction with the recorded speeding violation. Furthermore, based upon industry concerns, the FMCSA is implementing modifications to the roadside inspection software that its field staff and State Partners use that will require roadside officers to designate the severity of speeding offenses recorded on roadside inspections. As an example, an enforcement officer will have to designate whether the recorded speeding violations was 1-5 MPH over the speed limit, 6-10 MPH over, etc. This will allow the FMCSA to assign less weight to less severe speeding violations.

Q: Why is there no driver rating? Why aren’t drivers more accountable?

A: The FMCSA does not use the SMS or any other system to assign formal safety ratings to individual drivers; however, the agency does acknowledge that holding drivers accountable for safe driving behavior is an important part of the safety compliance and enforcement process. Safety Investigators (SIs) systematically investigate drivers with glaring violations when investigating a motor carrier company. Additionally, these investigators use the Driver SMS, and internal safety assessment tool, to review drivers with strong patterns of non-compliance. Any violations that are not corrected may result in a Notice of Claim or a Notice of Violation for the driver.

Want to brush up on your CSA knowledge? Visit the CSA website for more info!!

Have any other questions you want answered? Leave a comment and we will work to provide an answer!!!

References:

http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/FAQs.aspx. Accessed on Aug. 4, 2011.

Revisiting..... Load Locks

Back in September, we discussed the topic of load locks. To review, load locks are used to secure cargo, and are telescoping bars that have ratcheting mechanisms inside, and are typically made of steel or aluminum. To set load locks into place, you telescope the bar until the ends contact the wall or the floor and the ceiling, then flip the tension handle to lock it in place.

Today, we will revisit this important topic and provide some tips that will be useful in improving or maintaining your CSA score for the Cargo-Related BASIC. To review, the Cargo-Related BASIC relates to failure to properly prevent shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, overloading, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials on a Commercial Motor Vehicle. Example violations are: improper load securement, cargo retention, and hazardous material handling. In refrigerated produce shipments, load locks (along with proper loading techniques) are one of the most important tools to ensure that cargo is loaded and secured properly for transport.

So, now, let’s review how to use load locks to our best advantage:

- Make sure that you have 3-6 load locks that are in good working order available.

- It is recommended that 2 load locks be placed between the floor and the ceiling on the left side of the rear pallets – this is because all vehicles on the road lean slightly to the right due to the road’s center crown, and pallets are therefore stacked slightly to the right of the trailer in order to minimize shifting.

- It is also recommended that 2 load locks be placed on the back of the rear pallets between the trailer’s walls. Remember that it is always advisable to have a minimum of 6 inches of space between the back doors and the load to allow for adequate air flow.

- Even if you don’t use your load locks on a regular basis, a monthly inspection is advised to ensure that they are operating effectively and are not rusted or otherwise broken. Don’t get you and your load locks jammed up at time of loading!

Improperly positioned freight can not only affect your BASIC score in the Cargo-Related area, but can also result in damages have the potential to cause a significant loss of value to the load, and consequently, the potential for additional costs. So, the moral here (once again) is be prepared; prevention is always the best way!

Share your tips for using load locks with us!!!!

New CSA 2010 Program Launched

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has officially launched the CSA 2010 program. The program will now be referred to simply as the CSA (Compliance Safety Accountability) program, and will drop the 2010.

As we have reviewed in previous blog postings, the cornerstone of CSA is the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which will analyze all safety-based violations from inspections and crash data to determine a commercial motor carrier's on-road performance. The new safety program will allow FMCSA to reach more carriers earlier and deploy a range of corrective interventions to address a carrier company's specific safety issues.

The CSA program also advances the Obama Administration's open government initiative by providing the public with safety data in a more user-friendly format. This will give consumers a better picture of those carriers that pose a safety risk. CSA was also rolled out and tested in 9 pilot states before the program was launched nationwide.


The SMS uses seven safety improvement categories called BASICS to examine a carrier's on-road performance and crash risk potential. Once again for review, the BASICs are Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service), Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related, Crash Indicator. By looking at a carrier's safety violations in each of the categories, FMCSA and state law enforcement agencies will be better equipped to identify carriers with patterns of high-risk behaviors, and subsequently apply interventions that provide carriers the information necessary to change unsafe practices early on.


FMCSA will continue to conduct on-site comprehensive compliance reviews for carrier company;s with safety issues across multiple BASICs; where a carrier has not taken the appropriate corrective measures, FMCSA will invoke strong civil penalties.


To gain more information regarding the new CSA program, please feel free to contact UWC directly (1.877.273.7400) or visit the CSA website at http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Do you have any early CSA experiences you would like to share??

Updates on CSA 2010

There have been some updates and news on the CSA 2010 front that we would like to share with our Customer and Carrier partners.

The first piece of news is that the FMCSA has announced some CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) improvements. At the end of this past summer, the FMCSA began providing Carriers with information about where they stand in each of the new CSA BASICs (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories); the information was based on inspection data and investigation findings. Based on feedback and analysis from the Data Preview period, the FMCSA will roll out the new SMS to the nation in December with the following revisions in place:

• Modifications to the presentation of SMS BASIC results - the term "Deficient" will be changed to "Alert" when a motor carrier's score in one or more of the BASICs is above the FMCSA threshold for intervention. The highlight color will also be changed from red to orange. Thirdly, there will be improvements to the language to clarify that BASIC results signify the carrier is prioritized for an FMCSA intervention.

• Modifications to the Cargo-Related BASIC - the Cargo-Related BASIC will be recalibrated by adjusting the cargo securement violation severity weightings based on input from subject matter experts. The public display will be modified for this BASIC to show violations only. The percentiles and intervention status will no be on public display.

Along with these two adjustments, the FMCSA agency is also conducting additional analysis to further understand the impact on the different industry segments of a carrier's exposure in various BASICs. During this analysis period, the results from the BASICs measurement will continue to be an effective intervention prioritization tool for enforcement personnel based on sound safety principles.

Also in CSA 2010 news, the national roll out has now been slated to occur no earlier than December 12, 2010, despite reports that may state the contrary.

If you would like further information or news regarding the fast approaching nationwide implementation of CSA 2010, please visit the CSA website at http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov or feel free to contact UWC!!!

More CSA 2010 -

CSA 2010 Countdown - Check your Score Today!!

The kickoff for CSA 2010 going live is now less than one month away!! Here is a quick review of what is going to happen:


Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce commercial vehicle (CMV)-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities. It introduces a new enforcement and compliance model that allows FMCSA and its State Partners to contact a larger number of carriers earlier in order to address safety problems before crashes occur. Rolling out the program by the end of 2010 will establish a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public.


The FMCSA uses Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories, also called BASICs, in order to measure motor carrier's on-road safety performance. The BASICs categories are as follows:

• Unsafe Driving


• Fatigued Driving (Hours of Service)


• Driver Fitness


• Controlled Substances/Alcohol


• Vehicle Maintenance


• Cargo-Related


• Crash Indicator

Motor Carriers can now view their BASICs Assessment, which includes on road performance and investigation results. Review your inspection and crash data, and identify and correct safety compliance problems today!! The FMCSA is tracking who has logged in to the FMCSA Data Preview site to see their status and scores and what particular pages they are looking at. It has been reported that fewer than 10% of registered trucking companies have accessed their data.

UWC encourages carrier companies to obtain a password and ID and log in to the system in order to understand what your status and scores are, and take corrective action immediately regarding any safety compliance issues.

To log in, go to https://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDataPreview%2fDefault.aspx and follow the instructions. If you require any assistance or further information regarding CSA 2010, please feel free to contact UWC's Carrier Relations Department at toll free: 1.877.273.7400 or carriers@unitedworldcargo.com.

!!!Kick off date for CSA 2010 is slated for December 5th, 2010! Make sure you are well informed and prepared for the new system, and remember to log in to the Data Preview Site!!!

CSA Spotlight - BASICS: Driver Fatigue, Driver Fitness & Vehicle Maintenance

CSA 2010 implementation is fast approaching!

CSA 2010 is the FMCSA’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis System; its purpose is to achieve a greater reduction in large truck and bus crashes, injuries, and fatalities in the United States by identifying individual drivers and motor carrier companies that pose safety problems and intervening to address those problems as soon as they become apparent.

Within the CSA model, the Safety Measurement System (SMS) quantifies the on-road safety performance of carriers and drivers. The SMS replaces the FMCSA SafeStat in the new operational model. Every month, SMS will measure the previous two years of roadside violation and crash data and calculate a score in 7 safety behavior areas, called the BASICs (Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories). In this issue of The Road Ahead, we focus on 3 that we believe to be the most crucial aspects of the system that both Carriers and Customers should be aware of:

1. Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service): This component of the BASICs measures the operation of CMVs (Commercial Motor Vehicle) by drivers who are ill, fatigued, or in non-compliance with the Hours-of-Service regulations. It includes violations of regulations pertaining to complete and accurate recording of logbooks as they relate to HOS requirements and the management of CMV driver fatigue. Examples of violations under this component are: HOS non-compliance, logbook violations, and operating a CMV while ill or fatigued.

2. Driver Fitness: This component of the BASICs evaluates the operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to a lack of training, experience or medical qualifications. Examples of violations under this component are: failure to have a valid and appropriate commercial driver’s license and being medically unqualified to operate a CMV.

3. Vehicle Maintenance: This component of the BASICs measures the failure to properly maintain a CMV. Example violations under this component are: faulty brakes and lights, other mechanical defects, and failure to make required repairs and scheduled maintenance.

In the case where measurement of the BASICs leads to determination of unfit operations, drivers and carrier companies will face suspension.

It will become more and more important for UWC’s Carrier Partners to strictly adhere to all of the BASICs, especially the 3 listed above, as the implications for non-compliance are severe.

For more information, please visit the CSA website at: http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/.