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
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 2010 Outreach
A listing of new items posted to the CSA 2010 Outreach site!
New FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Website Launched!
Posted on 8 March 2010 @ 12:00 am
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched the first phase of its Driver Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), which when fully active will allow commercial motor carrier companies to electronically access driver safety inspection and crash records as a part of the hiring process. The first phase provides motor carriers the opportunity to visit the PSP website at www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov and pre-register for the program by submitting their company contact information. Frequently Asked Questions are also available on the website. If you have additional questions about PSP, please contact the PSP program directly as it is not part of FMCSA’s CSA 2010 program.
Sample Warning Letter and FAQs Now Available!
Posted on 23 February 2010 @ 12:00 am
Did You Know? CSA 2010’s array of interventions starts with the warning letter which is often the earliest contact in the new model. The warning letter is designed to make carriers aware of their safety performance issues so they can address these early, before they become habitual and more difficult to correct. Check out a Sample Warning Letter and related FAQs in the new Warning Letter Factsheet.
Driver Fact Sheet Now Available!
Posted on 28 January 2010 @ 12:00 am
Did You Know? A total of 3,067 stakeholders participated in the December 3rd and 10th Listening Sessions, submitting more than 1,150 questions! The CSA 2010 team has analyzed the questions and is compiling answers to those that were asked most frequently. The question below represents one of those most frequently asked. Also, check out the new Driver Fact Sheet designed to inform CMV drivers about what CSA 2010 means to them. Stay tuned for more questions and answers over the coming weeks!
Will CSA 2010 assign safety ratings to individual commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers? I heard that CSA 2010 is designed to rate CMV drivers and to put many of them out of work this summer.
No. Under CSA 2010, individual CMV drivers will not be assigned safety ratings or safety fitness determinations. Consistent with the current safety rating regulations (49 CFR part 385), individual drivers will continue to be rated, as they are today, following an onsite investigation at their place of business when they operate independently as a “motor carrier” (i.e. have their own USDOT number, operating authority, and insurance). CSA 2010 will provide enhanced tools for Safety Investigators to identify and address drivers with poor safety records as part of motor carrier investigations in order to increase driver accountability for safe driving behavior. CSA 2010 is designed to meet one overriding objective: to increase safety on the Nation’s roads. Therefore, it is, by design, a positive program for drivers
New CSA 2010 materials now available!
Posted on 21 January 2010 @ 12:00 am
We’ve recently added several new CSA 2010 outreach documents to the website. Take a few minutes to check them out!
Listening Session Presentations Now Available
Posted on 7 January 2010 @ 12:00 am
Did You Know? FMCSA’s December 3rd and 10th public listening sessions on CSA 2010 each drew an audience of nearly 1,500. Attendees included commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers, CMV carrier company representatives, safety advocates, insurance and shipping industry stakeholders, government officials, and journalists. More than 95% of respondents to an exit poll said the information they received about CSA 2010 was useful and that the webcast format was effective.
Participants submitted more than 1,000 questions, and panel members and presenters answered many of these during the webcasts. The 2009 listening session presentations are now available online. The recorded webcasts will be posted on the CSA 2010 outreach website by the end of January so stay tuned!
CSA 2010 Listening Session a big success!
Posted on 9 December 2009 @ 12:00 am
Did You Know? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) December 3rd public listening session on Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) was a big success, with 1,483 motor carriers, safety advocates, insurance industry and government staff logged into the webcast – twenty times as many registrants as in previous years! The second session, being held on December 10th, will address what CSA 2010 means for motor carriers and drivers. The recorded webcasts will be transcribed to be compliant with FMCSA website requirements, and posted to the CSA 2010 website by the middle of January 2010.
10th CSA 2010 Listening Session tomorrow!
Posted on 2 December 2009 @ 12:00 am
Did You Know? This month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will hold its tenth Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) public listening session. More than 1500 people are registered for the two-part webinar, including motor carriers, safety advocates, and representatives from the insurance industry, government and media. The sessions will be held December 3rd and 10th and will provide an overview of the CSA 2010 Operational Model and address what CSA 2010 means for motor carriers and drivers.
