Following and enforcing the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) safety rules and regulations for big rigs in commercial trucking is now high-tech.
DOT now has a national database system that spits out monthly safety ratings for transportation companies and drivers alike.
Before this national mega data base was compiled, mountainous paperwork and the lack of staff caused the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) officials to be unable to conduct an adequate number of compliance reviews.
Fewer than two percent of the motor carriers in the United States were getting reviews annually.
Now, these reviews are available roadside at the touch of a fingertip and trucking companies get the privilege of paying the bill with a $100 subscriptions fee for company access.
DOT's technological rescue from shortfalls in staff and annual reviews is the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA2010 for short).
FMCSA has developed a data-driven system that analyzes inspection reports on carriers and drivers.
It employs algorithms and programs that spit out safety ratings.
The three ratings for 2010 are: "Unfit," "Marginal," and "Continue to Operate.
" Depending upon the rating, trucking companies could get anything from a letter to a full on-site review akin to an IRS audit.
Sounds simple and effective? The devil in the details is with the data FMSCA will collect at crash sites and inspections.
The second detail devil is inaccuracies with filed reports.
Data entry errors, training, and inaccuracies are just part of the data entry territory.
Performance ratings will be calculated based on seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs).
These categories are "Unsafe," "Fatigued Driving," "Driver Fitness," "Controlled Substances/Alcohol," "Vehicle Maintenance," "Cargo Related," and "Crash Indicator.
" All violations (ticketed or not) will be calculated and included on inspections whether in- or out-of-service.
Companies and drivers will be equally accountable and responsible for their respective roles in safety.
Driver records will follow professional drivers wherever they go and will contain information from inspections and incident reports.
There is roadside access to this information by enforcement officials as well as pre-employment access to information by motor carriers.
The goal is to target drivers with serious violations as well as drivers with habitual infractions.
There are bugs with the new database as the DOT, trucking companies, and drivers wrestle with the rough spots and glitches like inaccurate data entry during the implementation phase.
Drivers' records will be held for three years (thirty-six months) and motor carrier records will be held in the system for two years (24 months).
This data will be held by NIC, a third-party vendor, based in Olathe, KS.
Drivers can get copies of their own records by filing a Freedom of Information Act request with FMCSA and motor carriers must get signed releases from individual drivers.
For detailed information on CSA2010, go to J.
J.
Keller & Associates of Neenah, Wisconsin for their published handbook on CSA2010.
Be environmentally correct and EPA-compliant.
Burn fuel completely in engine cylinders (gas or diesel).
Also, make regular #2 diesel premium grade, go to: http://morempgforsure.
com
DOT now has a national database system that spits out monthly safety ratings for transportation companies and drivers alike.
Before this national mega data base was compiled, mountainous paperwork and the lack of staff caused the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) officials to be unable to conduct an adequate number of compliance reviews.
Fewer than two percent of the motor carriers in the United States were getting reviews annually.
Now, these reviews are available roadside at the touch of a fingertip and trucking companies get the privilege of paying the bill with a $100 subscriptions fee for company access.
DOT's technological rescue from shortfalls in staff and annual reviews is the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA2010 for short).
FMCSA has developed a data-driven system that analyzes inspection reports on carriers and drivers.
It employs algorithms and programs that spit out safety ratings.
The three ratings for 2010 are: "Unfit," "Marginal," and "Continue to Operate.
" Depending upon the rating, trucking companies could get anything from a letter to a full on-site review akin to an IRS audit.
Sounds simple and effective? The devil in the details is with the data FMSCA will collect at crash sites and inspections.
The second detail devil is inaccuracies with filed reports.
Data entry errors, training, and inaccuracies are just part of the data entry territory.
Performance ratings will be calculated based on seven Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs).
These categories are "Unsafe," "Fatigued Driving," "Driver Fitness," "Controlled Substances/Alcohol," "Vehicle Maintenance," "Cargo Related," and "Crash Indicator.
" All violations (ticketed or not) will be calculated and included on inspections whether in- or out-of-service.
Companies and drivers will be equally accountable and responsible for their respective roles in safety.
Driver records will follow professional drivers wherever they go and will contain information from inspections and incident reports.
There is roadside access to this information by enforcement officials as well as pre-employment access to information by motor carriers.
The goal is to target drivers with serious violations as well as drivers with habitual infractions.
There are bugs with the new database as the DOT, trucking companies, and drivers wrestle with the rough spots and glitches like inaccurate data entry during the implementation phase.
Drivers' records will be held for three years (thirty-six months) and motor carrier records will be held in the system for two years (24 months).
This data will be held by NIC, a third-party vendor, based in Olathe, KS.
Drivers can get copies of their own records by filing a Freedom of Information Act request with FMCSA and motor carriers must get signed releases from individual drivers.
For detailed information on CSA2010, go to J.
J.
Keller & Associates of Neenah, Wisconsin for their published handbook on CSA2010.
Be environmentally correct and EPA-compliant.
Burn fuel completely in engine cylinders (gas or diesel).
Also, make regular #2 diesel premium grade, go to: http://morempgforsure.
com
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