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Jun 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber

Industry goes through the five stages, but the key is to reach acceptance and proactively manage the situation under the new requirements

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You've heard of the five stages of grief, right? Usually, that theory is associated with the death of a loved one or the death of a marriage.

But Scott Claffey, Great West Casualty Co, has witnessed a strong correlation with the arrival of Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010), a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative designed to improve large-truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce commercial motor vehicle-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

The grief cycle has struck many in the industry, he joked at the beginning of “Preparing for CSA 2010,” a panel discussion conducted during the National Tank Truck Carriers annual Tank Truck Safety & Security Council Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Denial — I think we're beyond that one,” said Claffey, who moderated the session. “Next is anger. I've been talking to you, and some are still angry. Then bargaining and depression: Some of you are already in depression. Finally, we'll get to acceptance.”

Then there are those who still have only a vague idea of what CSA 2010 even is.

“I've been talking to a lot of folks for a year and a half about the issues surrounding CSA 2010,” he said. “Unfortunately, we're still coming across people who are saying, ‘CSA what?’ We've seen a sudden increase in the number of phone calls saying, ‘This thing's been pushed back.’ So they're just hearing of it, because some elements have been pushed back. There's a lot of misunderstanding about the issue.”

The initiative introduces a new enforcement and compliance model that allows FMCSA and its state partners to contact a larger number of carriers earlier in order to address safety problems before crashes occur. When the program is fully rolled out over the next year or so, FMCSA believes it will have a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public.

CSA 2010 has three major components: measurement, evaluation, and implementation. The program measures safety performance in new ways, using inspection and crash results to identify carriers whose behaviors could reasonably lead to crashes. When FMCSA rolls out CSA 2010, the Safety Measurement System (SMS) will replace SafeStat. Every month, SMS will measure the previous two years of roadside violation and crash data and calculate a score in seven safety behavior areas, called BASICs (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories).

• Unsafe Driving. Dangerous or careless operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Data includes driver traffic violations and convictions for speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, inattention, and other unsafe driving behavior. (FMCSR Parts 392 and 397.)

• Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service). Driving a CMV when fatigued, which is distinguished from incidents where unconsciousness or an inability to react is brought about by the use of alcohol, drugs, or other controlled substances. Data includes hours-of-service (HOS) violations discovered during an off-site investigation, on-site investigation, roadside inspection, or post-crash inspection; and crash reports with driver fatigue as a contributing factor. (FMCSR Parts 392 and 395.)

• Driver Fitness. Operation of a CMV by drivers who are unfit for that activity due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualification. Data includes inspection violations for failure to have a valid and appropriate commercial driver's license or medical or training documentation; crash reports citing a lack of experience or medical reason as a cause or contributory factor; and violations from an off-site or on-site investigation for failure to maintain proper driver qualification files, or use of unqualified drivers. (FMCSR Parts 383 and 391.)

• Controlled Substances and Alcohol. Operation of a CMV while impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription medications or over-the-counter medications. Data includes roadside violations involving controlled substances or alcohol, crash reports citing driver impairment or intoxication as a cause, positive drug or alcohol test results on drivers, and lack of appropriate testing or other deficiencies in motor carrier controlled substances and alcohol testing programs. (FMCSR Part 392.)

• Vehicle Maintenance. CMV failure due to improper or inadequate maintenance. Data includes roadside violations for brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects; crash reports citing a mechanical failure as a contributing factor; and violations from an off-site investigation or an on-site investigation associated with pre-trip inspections, maintenance records, and repair records. (FMCSR Parts 393 and 396.)

• Cargo Related. Shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials. Data includes roadside inspection violations pertaining to load securement, cargo retention, and hazardous material handling; and crash reports citing shifting loads, or spilled/dropped cargo as a cause or contributing factor. (FMCSR Parts 392, 393, 397, and HM Violations.)

• Crash Indicator. Histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity. Data includes law enforcement crash reports and crashes reported by the carrier and discovered during on-site investigations.

Recent roadside violations and violations that correlate most with crashes will be weighted more heavily than other violations. The SMS will then rank carrier scores relative to their peers to determine which entities have specific safety problems.

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