CSA 2010 is on the near horizon. The plans have been laid, the infrastructure is in place, and the program will be ready to roll in the Summer of 2010. This is a complex program that will have some bearing on every driver and carrier in the United States. At BigRigDriving we’re going to cover the CSA 2010 Program extensively to clarify the policies, eliminate false rumors, and help you understand how this program will effect truck drivers and commercial carriers nationwide.
For now we’ll start with the basics and then we’ll steer you toward resources that will help you understand the program better, including our blog and forum topics dedicated to your questions, answers, and comments regarding CSA 2010.
About CSA 2010 – What Is It?
According to the CSA2010 Website:
“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 motor 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. When the program is fully rolled out by the end of 2010, FMCSA will have a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike!”
What Does This Mean In English?
The Federal Government is creating a new program to monitor the safety of truck drivers and trucking companies. It will replace the SAFESTAT system that has been used for many years to help track commercial driver and commercial carrier safety performance.
Why Is CSA 2010 Needed?
According to the CSA2010 Website:
“Since the 1970s, Federal and State enforcement agencies in partnership with many other stakeholders have progressively reduced the rate of commercial vehicle crashes resulting in injuries or fatalities on our Nation’s highways.
“The rate of crash reduction has slowed, prompting FMCSA to take a fresh look at how the agency evaluates the safety of motor carriers and drivers and to explore ways to improve its safety monitoring, evaluation, and intervention processes. CSA 2010 is the result of this comprehensive examination.
Basically, they’ve found that the rate of reduction in accidents and fatalities over the years has slowed and it’s time for a new system that can take safety and accountability to the next level, making the roads safer for everyone.
How Will CSA 2010 Work?
According to the CSA2010 Website:
“When FMCSA rolls out CSA 2010, the Safety Measurement System (SMS) will replace SafeStat. Every month, SMS will measure the previous two years of roadside violation and crash data and calculate a score in seven safety behavior areas, called BASICs (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories).”
In other words, CSA 2010 will gather information nationwide from crash sites and roadside vehicle inspections and calculate just how safe a particular commercial carrier or truck driver may be. Note that these scores are only based on data from the previous two years.
What Are The CSA 2010 BASIC’S For Calculating Scores?
There are seven BASIC’s (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) that will be used to evaluate the safety performance of commercial drivers and commercial carriers. They are:
- Unsafe Driving
- Fatigued Driving (Hours of Service)
- Driver Fitness
- Controlled Substances and Alcohol
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Cargo Related
- Crash Indicator
We’ll cover each of these in detail later on.
BigRig Blogs For CSA 2010
How Will The FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program Affect Drivers?
Written by Brett Aquila on 2010-10-02 04:13:13
The Pre-Employment Screening Program is a screening tool that allows motor carriers and individual drivers to purchase driving records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). Ok, so the Federal Government is maintaining information on truck drivers. That probably sounds terrifying to most drivers. I know it does to me. So naturally it raises a lot of questions and we’ll answer em here.
CSA 2010 Will Not Assign Safety Ratings to Individual Drivers (yeah right!)
Written by Brett Aquila on 2010-02-11 08:49:12
CSA 2010, as is typical of any government-run program, is already full of misconceptions, contradictions, and confusion. Trucker drivers are obviously concerned about their safety rating and how that will affect their current job, and prospects for truck driving jobs in the future. Well, oddly enough, the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) claims there is not going to be a safety rating assigned to individual company drivers at all. And yet they clearly state that when a carrier gets audited, their driver’s safety records will be reviewed. They also have a pre-employment screening program in place to allow trucking companies to get driver safety information before hiring a driver. Will this pre-employment screening and safety rating system apply to owner-operators only? What effects will CSA 2010 have on company drivers? Let’s take a look.
Understanding The Six CSA 2010 BASIC’s
Written by Brett Aquila on 2010-01-19 10:03:45
There are six BASIC’s regarding the CSA 2010 implementation and one last measure called “Crash Indicator”. The CSA 2010 team developed the BASICs under the premise that commercial motor vehicle crashes can be traced to the behavior of motor carriers and/or drivers. Here is a list of all seven items, their definitions, and some examples of how they apply.
Recent News From The CSA 2010 Website
CSA Outreach
A listing of new items posted to the CSA Outreach site!
CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website updated
Posted on 6 June 2013 @ 12:00 am
The CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website has been updated with the May 24, 2013 snapshot. Check your safety assessment now at: http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms.
NOTE TO CARRIERS: To login into the SMS website and see all of your safety data, you will need an FMCSA-issued U.S. DOT Number Personal Identification Number (PIN) (NOT a Docket Number PIN). If you do not know or have forgotten your PIN, you can request one via http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ and select ‘Click here to request your Docket Number PIN and/or USDOT Number PIN.’ Be sure to request a U.S. DOT Number PIN, NOT a Docket Number PIN.
CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website updated
Posted on 13 May 2013 @ 12:00 am
The CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website has been updated with the April 26, 2013 snapshot. Check your safety assessment now at: http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms.
NOTE TO CARRIERS: To login into the SMS website and see all of your safety data, you will need an FMCSA-issued U.S. DOT Number Personal Identification Number (PIN) (NOT a Docket Number PIN). If you do not know or have forgotten your PIN, you can request one via http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ and select ‘Click here to request your Docket Number PIN and/or USDOT Number PIN.’ Be sure to request a U.S. DOT Number PIN, NOT a Docket Number PIN.
Spotlight on Carrier Resource for the Crash Indicator BASIC
Posted on 18 April 2013 @ 12:00 am
As we wrap up our series related to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) key investigative tool—the Safety Management Cycle (SMC)—our spotlight moves to the Crash Indicator Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). The SMC for the Crash Indicator BASIC helps carriers evaluate current operations, identify gaps in existing safety controls, and take action to improve safety practices with an end goal of preventing future crashes.
For example, a carrier should consider maintaining roadside inspection reports, moving violation records, crash reports, and “How am I driving?” complaints to help evaluate the performance of all staff (drivers and managers) involved in the effectiveness of company safety management policies and procedures. Also, a carrier may want to consider creating a policy and procedure for recording crash details and evaluate the company’s crash experience over time to identify potential patterns or trends.
These and other tips are available in the SMC for the Crash Indicator BASIC. Download it today! (http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/SMC_Overview.aspx) Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx) to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.
Spotlight on Carrier Resource for the Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC
Posted on 11 April 2013 @ 12:00 am
The Safety Management Cycle (SMC) is a useful tool for identifying and addressing safety and compliance issues. In the spotlight this week is the SMC for the Controlled Substances/Alcohol Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). This resource suggests actions in each of the six operational areas that carriers can take to work towards reducing or eliminating violations by creating or improving their safety management controls.
The SMC for the Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC includes recommendations such as establishing written policies and procedures that promote, verify, and enforce adherence to all controlled substance and alcohol rules and regulations. Another action a carrier may want to take is conveying expectations to all applicable staff for adhering to controlled substance and alcohol regulations and to company policies and procedures.
These and other practical tips are available in the SMC for the Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC, available on the CSA Website’s SMC webpage (http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/SMC_Overview.aspx). Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx)
to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.
CSA Website Features Safety Management Materials for Driver Fitness
Posted on 4 April 2013 @ 12:00 am
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is focusing this week on the recently released Safety Management Cycle (SMC) for the Driver Fitness Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). FMCSA’s Safety Investigators use this and other job aids every day to help motor carriers and drivers identify safety issues and find ways to improve. Now, these resources are available directly to carriers and drivers, too.
The SMC for the Driver Fitness BASIC suggests specific actions carriers can take to address and improve driver fitness problems. For example, a company could capture in the employment application all information required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to ensure the driver has the training, experience, and medical requirements for the job.
Learn more about these and other suggestions to help improve Driver Fitness. Download the SMC for the Driver Fitness BASIC today! (http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/SMC_Overview.aspx). Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.
CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website updated
Posted on 3 April 2013 @ 12:00 am
The CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) website has been updated with the March 22, 2013 snapshot. Check your safety assessment now at: http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms.
NOTE TO CARRIERS: To login into the SMS website and see all of your safety data, you will need an FMCSA-issued U.S. DOT Number Personal Identification Number (PIN) (NOT a Docket Number PIN). If you do not know or have forgotten your PIN, you can request one via http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ and select ‘Click here to request your Docket Number PIN and/or USDOT Number PIN.’ Be sure to request a U.S. DOT Number PIN, NOT a Docket Number PIN.
Spotlight on the Safety Management Cycle for the HOS Compliance BASIC
Posted on 21 March 2013 @ 12:00 am
The Safety Management Cycle (SMC) is a resource for carriers and drivers as well as enforcement to help identify and address the root cause for safety and compliance issues. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released a series of SMCs tailored to each Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC), with the end goal of helping carriers find ways to reduce or eliminate violations by establishing and improving their safety management controls.
The SMC for the Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC provides potential actions carriers can take to improve their HOS compliance. These actions are divided into six key process areas: roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, qualification and hiring, training and communication, monitoring and tracking, and meaningful action. For example, during the hiring process, a carrier should make sure a driver has the necessary skills for the job, including sufficient planning skills to know when to drive and when to stop, basic mathematical skills to calculate their hours and miles, and good organizational skills to keep each Record of Duty Status up-to-date.
Explore these and other important tips in the SMC for the HOS Compliance BASIC available from the CSA Website’s SMC webpage. Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.
If we can send men and women into harms way at 18 years of age… why can't we train truck drivers right out of high school… send them to truck driving boot camp. There is a lot to be said for getting young men and women fresh out of high school into the military. As a Former Marine, I was totally "Marine Green" by the time basic was over with. The military knows they have the advantage over you if you have no civilian work experience to compare to your military experience. If they can die for us, why can't they drive for us ? The trucking industry could grow a generation of potentially safer drivers. Since the industry is already regulated by the government, maybe the government should take the next step and consider training drivers according to their imposed rules and regulations…
Hey Don.
I'd say the #1 reason for not letting people under 21 drive interstate is because of their horrendous safety statistics and the tendency for younger people to be more aggressive, less patient, and greater risk takers. In trucking, it's all about liability and trust. Trucking companies need people with a proven track record of smart decision making which is why they tend to rule out anyone who has ever had a felony, DUI, or severe driving infractions. They even look at your credit score and social networking pages to get all the information they can about you. Unfortunately, someone who is 18 has never been anywhere except high school and mommy's house – they usually have no track record of decision making at that point in their lives to show they can be trusted. At least at 21 you've been out in the world for a few years (hopefully) and have shown you can be trusted (or not) as an adult making your own decisions.
Naturally the military loves 18-21 year olds because most people at that age are a bundle of fearless adrenaline junkies – idealistic, looking to make their mark in the world, and easier to mold. That's not a complaint against the military at all – it's just a simple matter of finding the right person in the right circumstances for the job.