As of March 27th, carriers were granted the ability to grab a sneak preview of changes to the Safety Measurement System (SMS). These improvements included:
1. “Moving cargo/load securement violations from the Cargo-Related BASIC to the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC” in order to “identify carriers with a higher crash risk” and to “effectively address the bias associated with carriers that haul open trailers while still holding all carriers accountable for all cargo securement violations.” 1
2. “Renaming the Cargo-Related BASIC the HM (Hazmat Materials) BASIC,” which would separate HM violations from load securement violations which are currently categorized together and applying severity weightings to each. 1
3. “Better aligning SMS with Intermodal Equipment Provider (IEP) regulations.” 1
4. “Eliminating the vehicle violations derived from driver-only inspections and driver violations from vehicle-only inspections.” 1
5. “Improving the identification of passenger carriers.” 1
6. Changing the SMS website’s terminology of ‘Insufficient Data’ (to < than 5 inspections) and ‘Inconclusive’ (to no violations within 1 year), as well as separating injury crashes from fatal crashes and tow-away crashes. 1
With an approaching deadline to comment on the changes originally scheduled for late June, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended its deadline to July 30th, afterwards making any necessary changes before placing it into effect.
By previewing the refined system, carriers will have the ability to diagnose any issues, “request corrections to any inaccurate data,” as well provide any refinements that should be made. 2 Those wishing to do can access the preview by: 1. Logging onto the CSA website (click here). To do so, you need to have your U.S. DOT# and US DOT# PIN on hand. 2. You can also access the preview by logging into the FMCSA Portal (click here). Once logged in, click on “CSA Outreach.”
The FMCSA has been busy responding to CSA concerns. Just last March, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro released a letter regarding 2011’s compliance reviews on high-risk carriers. 3 According to Ferro, last year there were 9,868 carriers under mandatory status (those “carriers deemed high risk for two consecutive months”). 3 This demonstrates the need to properly vet your carriers.
The FMCSA has also been under pressure by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) to change the way crash accountability is recorded.
Last year, carriers complained about high CSA crash scores reflecting accidents in which their trucks were not at fault. In return, the FMCSA developed both a short-term and long-term goal for easing carrier complaints.
Under these goals, trucking companies would be able to appeal who’s accountable for an accident, with a long-term plan aiming to determine accountability before the accident is even registered and factored into the scoring process.
In short-term, crashes would continue to be documented into the CSA database, however, carriers would then be given the option of using a system developed by the FMCSA allowing them to challenge the accountability of an accident by submitting a police report through the CSA data correction system. Although all accidents will still be recorded in the CSA system, those carriers at fault will be scored heavier then those held non-accountable for an accident.
But as the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Steve Keppler explains, this method poses problems when the “reviewer makes a determination on accountability that is different than the officer,” who was actually on the scene, or when their determination differs from the insurance company’s investigation.
Last March, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration decided to go back on the proposal that would assess who was at fault in crashes in conjunction with the carrier’s CSA rating, due to concerns with “using just the Police Accident Report and a carrier’s statement to determine crash accountability,” instead of taking into account other input such as witnesses.4
Last Monday, the ATA challenged the FMCSA to “release a study it has done on the feasibility of using police reports to gauge crash accountability,” the same study the agency refused to release in 2010 stating that the findings were preliminary. 5
Other safety groups are also raising questions regarding “the uniformity and consistency of the Police Accident Reports that provide the basic accountability data, and the lack of public input into the determination of accountability.” 5
Have you previewed the FMCSA’s SMS changes yet? If so, what are your comments regarding the revised system?
Not familiar with the SMS System? Below are the seven BASIC categories a carrier and driver’s safety performance is scored in: (*Information provided by Carrier411)
1. Unsafe Driving
Operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) by drivers in a dangerous or careless manner.
| Score ranges from 0-100 or Insufficient Data | ||
| Deficient Score Threshold | ||
| Passenger | HazMat | Other |
| 50 | 60 | 65 |
| Carriers you use will likely be classified as Other | ||
Example Violations: Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, and inattention.
2. Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service)
Operation of CMVs by drivers who are ill, fatigued, or in non-compliance with the Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations. This BASIC includes violations of regulations pertaining to logbooks as they relate to HOS requirements and the management of CMV driver fatigue.
| Score ranges from 0-100 or Insufficient Data | ||
| Deficient Score Threshold | ||
| Passenger | HazMat | Other |
| 50 | 60 | 65 |
| Carriers you use will likely be classified as Other | ||
Example Violations: HOS, logbook, and operating a CMV while ill or fatigued.
3. Driver Fitness
Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications.
| Score ranges from 0-100 or Insufficient Data | ||
| Deficient Score Threshold | ||
| Passenger | HazMat | Other |
| 65 | 75 | 80 |
| Carriers you use will likely be classified as Other | ||
Example Violations: Failure to have a valid and appropriate commercial driver’s license and being medically unqualified to operate a CMV.
4. Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Operation of CMVs by drivers who are impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications.
| Score ranges from 0-100 or Insufficient Data | ||
| Deficient Score Threshold | ||
| Passenger | HazMat | Other |
| 65 | 75 | 80 |
| Carriers you use will likely be classified as Other | ||
Example Violations: Use or possession of controlled substances/alcohol.
5. Vehicle Maintenance
Failure to properly maintain a CMV.
| Score ranges from 0-100 or Insufficient Data | ||
| Deficient Score Threshold | ||
| Passenger | HazMat | Other |
| 65 | 75 | 80 |
| Carriers you use will likely be classified as Other | ||
Example Violations: Brakes, lights, mechanical defects, and failure to make required repairs.
6. Cargo-Related (Data Not Publicly Available)
Cargo-Related data will not be displayed in Carrier411, although it is part of CSA 2010. Failure to properly prevent shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, overloading, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials on a CMV.
FMCSA will show Cargo-Related BASIC violations only. Cargo-Related BASIC score and intervention status will not be on public display.
7. Crash Indicator (Data Not Publicly Available)
Crash Indicator data will not be displayed in Carrier411, although it is part of CSA 2010. Histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity. It is based on information from state-reported crashes.
2http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2012/6/6/FMCSAurgescarrierstopreviewtheirCSAdata.aspx
3http://www.truckersnews.com/fmcsa-reports-gives-congress-report-on-high-risk-carriers/
4http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76326
5http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=77145
Trucking Companies, The Expedite Alliance of North America, and the Air & Expedited Motor Carriers Association) has filed a suit to block the CSA (Comprehensive Safety Analysis) 2010 “or at least to prohibit the public release of certain CSA data until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration completes a rulemaking on the program that complies with the Administrative Procedures Act” (
