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ASCETT Files Suit Against FMCSA

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As of December 28, 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, asked carriers to provide current and updated miles traveled as well as the number of trucks they are operating in order to update CSA scores. Any data previous to 2010 will not be used for scoring. To update your information please visit the FMCSA website.

While the FMCSA is seeking improvements and attempting to base CSA scores on more relevant and updated data the Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation (ASCETT) with four other trade associates and a total of 12 trucking companies and brokers filed a law suit against the FMCSA to seek judicial ruling of the publication, distribution and use of SMS data.

CSA Methodology Under Review

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) methodology and proposed changes are under examination for good reason. The premise of the program is to identify motor carriers with a higher risk of safety violations and crash involvement. Current scoring models based on paper work issues and modifications that continue to overlook crucial elements such as crash accountability are founded on a truck driver’s guilt of unsafe driving until proven innocent.

The suit charges that the FMCSA is misleading the freight and transportation industry and misappropriating responsibility when they publish and distribute data to the public despite erroneous logic and statistical flaws often misrepresenting the safety performance of motor carriers, often to their detriment. A lack of data for small trucking companies is as negatively scored and a wreck for larger fleets.

Alliance for Safe, Efficient, and Competitive Truck Transportation

In order to protect carriers from unfair ratings and undue stress, Apex is supporting the Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation, (ASECTT). One of ASECTT’s primary goals is to eliminate the use of the FMCSA’s SMS methodology to unfairly rate motor carriers. Apex’s concerns regarding the negative impact of CSA/SMS scores under the current model are shared by other trade professionals who are actively working to address these issues. By working with the ASECTT, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and transportation lawyer, Henry Seaton, Apex strives to protect and educate professionals in the transportation industry. To support efforts to bring necessary change to CSA/SMS, starting with removal of SMS scores from the FMCSA web site, please visit ASECTT.