Apex Encourages Motor Carriers to be Attentive to CSA Scores While CSA Debate Continues
Apex Capital supports the Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation (ASECTT). ASECTT is a group of shippers, carriers, brokers and allied industry participants calling for a critical analysis of the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, and a step back from its current use until that analysis is complete.
According to the ASECTT website, ASECTT’s members “are concerned that while CSA’s SMS methodology is a work in progress, portions of it have been released to the public without proper vetting, including but not limited to, the most basic scientific and statistical studies necessary to justify a nexus between the compliance violations measured in each of the so-called 7 BASICs and crash predictability.”
Apex shares ASECTT’s concerns. But while the CSA debate continues, obtaining and maintaining favorable CSA scores will remain important to motor carriers. For that reason, Apex launched a series of eight blogs on February 6, 2013 regarding the seven CSA Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) to encourage clients to be attentive to their CSA scores.
The FMCSA recently released new materials intended to assist motor carriers in identifying and addressing their safety and compliance issues. These materials include seven Safety Management Cycle (SMC) job aids originally created for agency enforcement personnel. There is one job aid for each of six of the BASICs and two for the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC: “Inspection-Repair-Maintenance” and “Cargo-Related.”
Establishing proper Policies and Procedures is the first step a motor carrier must take to utilize the SMC job aids to enhance CSA scores. This is one of a series of eight releases listing the Policies and Procedures a motor carrier should have in place as indicated by the SMC job aid for a specified BASIC. To learn more about the SMC job aids, and a full SMC analysis performed by FMCSA safety investigators, please visit the Resources page on the FMCSA’s CSA website at https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Unsafe Driving BASIC
The SMC job aid for the Unsafe Driving BASIC indicates that the following Policies and Procedures should be in place:
- Drivers should adhere to all safe-driving-related Federal, State, and local laws and ordinances, including the wearing of seat-belts and the prohibition against using radar detectors.
- Drivers should submit copies of all roadside inspections and citations for moving violations to management within 24 hours.
- Management should penalize drivers for speeding even if a Federal or State citation is not issued on the road.
- Dispatchers should not assign drivers a load that cannot be completed without speeding.
- Drivers should not allow passengers onboard vehicles without management approval.
Other CSA Series Posts:
Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance BASIC
Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC
Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC