Wheels of Justice

CSA 2010: Where we are, and where we are headed

For those of you keeping score at home, the FMCSA has just completed the first six months of testing of its Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 initiative. In case you don’t remember, CSA 2010 is a comprehensive review, analysis and restructuring of FMCSA’s current safety and fitness determination process and safety program, with the goal of reducing the number of large truck and bus crashes, injuries and fatalities occurring on America’s highways each year.
     At the present time, the FMCSA compliance and enforcement program is very time- and labor-intensive and reaches only a small percentage of the motor carrier industry. Even though the percentage of the industry reached by the FMCSA is generally those classified as being high risk, many other carriers – which FMCSA believes may be operating in an unsafe manner – often fall through the cracks. CSA 2010 looks to prevent this from happening.
     By adding new safety measurement systems (STS): one for carriers and one for drivers, FMCSA and its state partners hope to more accurately identify at-risk carriers and drivers, thereby making our highways safer. 
     In order to combat carriers and drivers exhibiting the behaviors noted above, CSA 2010 will incorporate a series of progressive interventions designed to change behavior before it becomes habit. As a result, more carriers and drivers will be contacted by the FMCSA and its state partners to discuss potential safety problems.
     As I mentioned, CSA 2010 has just completed the first six months of its 30 month, four- state field tests. What have we learned?  Well of the approximately 34,000 carriers placed in the test group, more are being investigated than have normally received “attention” from the FMCSA.  In fact, of the 34,000 carriers identified in the test group, over 2,100 have received some form of intervention from the FMCSA. 
     Based on these numbers, FMCSA believes that CSA 2010 goes a long way to-ward making our highways safer and drivers and motor carriers act responsibly. In other words, the FMCSA views the first phase of its test period as a success, and it made the CSA 2010 test period fully operational this October.
     It is more important than ever for motor carriers to comply with all in-house safety guidelines and for drivers to be proactive in keeping violations off of their MVR and their CDL clean. It is extremely important that you take all necessary actions to keep CSA 2010 from negatively impacting your ability to make a living.