Tuesday, February 16, 2010

CSA 2010 Worries Some In Trucking Industry

In an early February story from “Transport Topics,” fleet executives and trucking industry watchers have expressed concern about the new Comprehensive Safety Analysis program or CSA 2010.

The program, a federal safety monitoring and rating system for motor carriers, was designed to take the place of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s SafeStat system. Part of CSA 2010 is based on regularly updated information that is provided by electronic onboard recorders, which keep track of drivers’ hours of service. Other parts will be based on drivers' violations.

According to the story,
CSA 2010 sorts safety violations into seven categories — which FMCSA calls BASICS — that cover drivers and equipment. They are: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, drug and alcohol use, cargo securement failures, vehicle defects and crashes.

Unlike the current SafeStat program, which assigns safety ratings based on infrequent compliance reviews by federal auditors, the Department of Transportation’s CSA 2010 program will base safety ratings on carriers’ on-highway performance.

In contrast with SafeStat ratings, which can remain static for years, FMCSA has said that CSA 2010 ratings will be updated monthly to reflect enforcement actions and inspections by local and state law enforcement agencies.

In another departure from the current system, drivers’ violations will affect a carrier’s overall rating.
CSA 2010 is currently being tested by fleets in nine states, with nationwide rollout slated to begin in July and conclude by Dec. 31, according to DOT.


Opponents also cited implementation and the cost of the technology as a problem for some cash-strapped truckers. However, the overall safety goals of CSA 2010 are supported by the American Trucking Association. Read more industry views at http://www.ttnews.com/. Click here to learn more about CSA 2010.

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