J J Keller & Associates Inc is warning companies of all types that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) initiative is not just for trucking companies. With the program officially kicking off November 30, the transportation industry and beyond will soon feel the effects of CSA 2010.
Robert Rose, Keller’s transportation management editor, said, “A huge misconception is that CSA 2010 only applies to trucking companies. When the term ‘motor carrier’ is used, many people immediately connect this to mean only ‘trucking companies.’ In actuality, this new initiative applies to all carriers with a US DOT number engaged in the furtherance of interstate commerce, no matter what ‘type’ of carrier they are. Landscaping, welding, and pest control companies will be as much a part of this program as will over-the-road truckers, tankers, and heavy-duty haulers.
“The FMCSA has over 500,000 carriers in their database ranging from the smallest fleet of one CMV to the largest of all fleets, from the sole proprietorship to the corporate entity, and from the parts delivery service to the intermodal carriers. The common denominator is their US DOT number, which makes them all a part of CSA 2010,” said Rose.
It’s not too late for companies with a US DOT number to get on top of the CSA 2010 initiative with the first step being to check their scores at http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov. Companies should use this information to find out where they are the weakest and take steps to move their operation in the right direction, such as training and policy development.
Rose said, “It is extremely important for companies to understand that it isn’t only roadside inspections that are going to affect their scores. A simple traffic violation can impact a company’s score depending on how investigative a law enforcement officer wants to be. Companies and drivers need to pay attention to CSA 2010 because each violation is impacting both the driver and the company that they are driving for.”
Keller offers companies systems to help them track and manage their safety programs under CSA 2010, including:
•CSA Management Suite is an online service that allows carriers to more effectively manage their safety programs under the initiative by using real accident, violation, and roadside inspection data to generate CSA 2010 BASIC scores to see how they stack up in the CSA 2010 Measurement System. The service provides carriers with tools and resources to evaluate where they stand, identify steps they can take to improve, and implement sustainable and successful safety compliance programs to decrease their likelihood of an FMCSA intervention. Companies can take a five-day, no-obligation trial of the service by visiting www.managecsa.com.
•CSA Program Administration Service is an outsource service that takes the burden of monitoring the accuracy of company data from roadside inspections, citations, and accidents off the user’s hands. Keller takes actual DOT documents and compares them to DOT records to validate a safety rating and assists in the appeal process, if necessary. For more information, visit www.csaoutsource.com.
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