Posts Tagged ‘safety record’

OOIDA Files Suit Against FMCSA Over Inaccurate Driver Records

Friday, July 20th, 2012

OOIDAEarlier this week, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association announced that it had filed a suit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last Friday stating that the agency has been releasing inaccurate driver records to employers that ultimately lead to negative consequences for drivers.

According to the suit, the FMCSA is accused of releasing driver data to employers conducting pre-employment screening before the driver’s accusation even reaches the court, resulting in sometimes inaccurate data where the driver was not at fault. 1

In addition, OOIDA presented three case examples in which drivers had their violations dismissed in court, however, these violations still remain in the system even after they submitted appeals through the agency’s DataQ.  The FMCSA’s refusal to remove these violations from the system “fails to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with the Privacy Act, and with mandates governing agency action contained in the previous highway bill, SAFETEA-LU,” OOIDA stated. 1

As a result of inaccurate information being released, drivers are being turned down for jobs.

“By refusing to accept the determination by a court, the FMCSA has in essence made state law enforcement agencies the final judge and jury on all citations.  This can ultimately threaten business opportunities and income,” Jim Johnston, President of OOIDA remarked. 1

And it’s not just the driver that is affected but the trucking company as well.  The group mentioned the impact that the FMCSA’s CSA program has had especially on small carriers remarking, “This is a terrible message to send to a small-business owner, that the survival of their business is beholden to a computer system that is clearly out of touch with reality.” 2

In its suit, OOIDA asks that the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia mandate the FMCSA to remove any data in which a court ruling was not yet determined, those that were found not guilty in court, those that are “not serious driver-related violations,” as well as “enjoin the agency from distributing information without any reference to a dispute and a summary of the dispute, and enjoin the agency from distributing false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading inspection reports.” 3

Want to view your data and don’t know how?

Carriers can view their safety scores through the following steps:

-1.  Go to the FMCSA website-www.fmcsa.dot.gov

-2.  Click on Safety & Security

-3.  Click on Company Safety Record

-4.  Click on Safety Fitness Electronic Records System

-5.  Click on Company Snapshot

-6.  Enter Carrier’s DOT, MC number, or Name

-7.  Click on SMS Results

Drivers can access their data by the following two ways:

-1.  Requesting the information via the pre-employment screening program site at http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Or

-2.  Requesting the information via the Freedom of Information Act site at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/foia/index.htm

Have a complaint to file but don’t know how?  Easy, just go to DataQ’s site at https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.asp.  You are then given the option to either sign in or register.  Once logged in, a driver is able to file an appeal.

If you are a driver who was effected by this false information and can prove you exceptional driving record, contact Road Scholar Transport today. We are always looking for talented, dedicated, and customer-obsessed drives to join our team.  Visit http://www.roadscholar.com/employment.php today.

Do you agree with OOIDA in that the FMCSA should not post driver data until it undergoes a court ruling?  Do you know of any circumstances where this has happened to a driver in the past?  List your comments below.

1http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=29742&t=OOIDA-Sues-FMCSA-Over-Driver-Database

2http://m.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=23877

3http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2012/7/17/OOIDAsuesFMCSAoverallegeddriverdatabaseinaccuracies.aspx

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Survey Shows Nearly 40% of Small Carriers Seriously Considering Closure

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Transport Capital PartnersAccording to Transport Capital Partners’ Third Quarter Business Expectations Survey, the number of carriers who are seriously considering shutting down their businesses due to tonnage problems as well as economic uncertainty has increased in August.

As truckinginfo.com states, carriers are showing concern towards an uncertain economy, rising rates, shortage of drivers, and stricter regulations.  In particular, small carriers (those with revenue of $25 million or less) are considering no other choice but to shut down.

The survey indicates that 20% of small fleets predict closing their doors if “tonnage does not increase within the next six months” and 11.8% of larger fleets stated likewise, increasing statics by “32% from 11.3% to 15%” (http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=75107).

Although this number is lower than February 2009’s of 22.3%, statistics from the survey show February’s number to be well surpassed by the number of small carriers who are tempted to close within the next 18 months, ranking in at 40%.

Transport Capital Partners’ Business Expectations Survey also reported a drastic decrease in the number of carriers who expected volumes to improve within the next year, dropping from 92.4%, recorded last February, to 44.9% in August, with 7.5% actually predicting a decrease in volume, truckinginfo.com notes.

While carriers are judging their future based on whether or not tonnage improves, the American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index has already reported a 1.6% tonnage increase in September when compared to the previous month, 5.9% increase from the same time last year, and a 0.4% rise compared to last quarter, an article in thetrucker.com states.

These statistics show that “we are in a weak growth period for the economy, but not in a recession,” the ATA’s Bob Costello declared (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/10/25/ATAtrucktonnageindexincreased16inSeptember.aspx).

Road Scholar Transport

As more and more trucking companies exit the competition, it will, in return, put a greater strain on capacity, leading shippers to pay more to have their freight moved.  Road Scholar Transport offers competitive LTL and Truckload rates with expedited shipping to get your freight where it needs to be fast, while maintaining an impressive safety record (we had a 0.0003% damage claim record in 2010).

Visit www.roadscholar.com and let Road Scholar Transport demonstrate our capabilities and expertise to you.

List your comments regarding Transport Capital Partners’ Third Quarter Business Expectations Survey below!

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Cargo Still Missing After Company Chooses Broker to Move Freight

Friday, September 16th, 2011

A Denton, Texas manufacturer learned one more reason why shippers should choose an asset-based carrier after hiring a broker to transport their freight.

copper

The shipment, which was picked up last Friday with its first delivery scheduled for Monday, contained 40,000 pounds of copper holding an estimated value of $165,000, but when the load didn’t reach any of its four delivery appointments, the company decided to investigate.

And why wouldn’t the company worry.  The typical broker has little or no cargo/liability insurance and now having a $165,000 possible loss on their hands, the manufacturer is probably wishing that they chose an asset-based carrier like Road Scholar Transport, who provides up to $1,000,000 in cargo insurance and $1,000,000 in liability insurance.

When using a broker, most of the time you do not know who is hauling your freight (it’s up to the broker to find someone), which means that your cargo could be put in the hands of an unqualified, unsafe driver.  A scare that this manufacturer must have gotten when they tried to call the trucking company several times only to have their calls unanswered.   Not only that, but the company’s message box was full, appearing that this was not the only shipper having a problem getting in touch with this carrier.

After tracking down who the truck driver in charge of transporting the shipment was, Denton police notified the sheriff department in Rockwall, where the driver lives.  But when authorities went to the door, the driver did not answer; however, did respond to a phone call and explained that the truck had been stolen and has been recently recovered; however, did not mention the recovery of the load (http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Blotter_0916.16d4f10c0.html).

It is the carrier, not the broker, who is constantly managing inventory and making sure freight gets transported to where it needs to be, on time, taking on a responsibility that far surpasses the framework of brokers.

In this case, Road Scholar Transport would have quickly recovered both the truck as security timestampwell as the stolen load using our independent tractor and trailer tracking.  Road Scholar can provide the shipper with a freight history log so that they know when and where their freight has been and, with security features such as electronic door monitoring and Navalock, as well as a reputable safety record, assures you that your shipment will be in good hands.

Don’t take or word for it, listen to what our customers have to say by viewing our customer testimonial section at http://www.roadscholar.com/freighthaulingtestimonials.php and visit www.roadscholar.com today to get onboard a safe carrier.

Would you rather ship with an asset-based carrier or 3rd party?  List your comments below.

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Capacity Shortages Have Manufacturers Paying More to Move Freight

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Manufacturers are seeing an increase in rates to transport their freight, whether it be by truck, rail, or air, with capacity shortages playing a large role.

truck, rail, air transport

Unfortunately, the rising cost manufacturers and shippers are experiencing is not predicted to get better any time this year.  With retiring drivers, new/stricter regulations, increasing fuel, equipment, and healthcare costs, a lingering recession, and a lack of available credit keeping fleets small, the trucking industry is experiencing the tightest crunch in capacity since 2005.

According to a recent survey, 74% of respondents noted an increase in transportation costs within the past year, with 64% noting a 1-10% raise and 10% stating an 11-15% jump (http://www.industryweek.com/articles/no_transportation_relief_in_sight_25323.aspx?SectionID=2).

In order to avoid higher costs, manufacturers are scoping out transportation companies, not based on their quality of service, but by who has the cheapest rates.  Those manufacturers who are looking to cut back on shipments by transporting via truckload rather than multiple LTL shipments are noticing a hard time finding the capacity to fulfill their requests.

Another way manufacturers are looking to cut back on increasing freight rates is to use trucking as their primary means of transport rather than rail and air.  In fact, Industry Week notes a decrease of 9% in air freight, dropping the number of freight transported via air from 14% to 5% within the last two years.

Even the rail industry cannot compare to trucking as a means of transport.  As listed in Industry Week, manufacturers are choosing truck over rail for the following reasons:

-“Rail doesn’t support faster inventory turnover.”

-“Rail isn’t competitive on price and service.”

-“Truckload price discounts have offset some of the rail cost differential.”

-“Companies are willing to pay more for truckload service.”

-“Changes in sourcing have reduced transportation costs.”

Road Scholar Transport

For a company who offers competitive LTL and Truckload rates, expedited shipping, and an impressive safety record, visit www.roadscholar.com and let Road Scholar Transport demonstrate our capabilities and expertise to you.

Have you been affected or are experiencing any differences due to capacity shortage?  What are you doing to deal with the issue?  Let us know by posting your comments below.

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Trucking Company’s Safety Record Questioned after Amtrak Accident

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Accident prevention, brand equity, liability cases…all good reasons to take the time to review a carrier’s safety record before trusting them with your freight.  But many times shippers choose to conduct business with third-parties (brokers), not knowing who is handling their freight, and thus, running the risk of shipping with a trucking company who is on an “alert” status for unsafe driving.

Let’s pretend that you (the shipper) are given two options.

Option 1: You can choose a carrier who has been cited for two crashes within the past two years, has a history of citations for faulty equipment, and earlier this year, had a truck ordered off the road for safety issues.

Then you would choose a company such as John Davis Trucking, whose series of violations and unsafe driving have been surfacing after their involvement in an accident which resulted in fatalities last Friday.

John Davis Trucking, located in Nevada, made the news when it hit two of ten railcars traveling to California.  According to thetrucker.com, the company “skidded the length of a football field before crashing into the train,” killing the driver, four passengers, and a conductor.

As National Transportation Safety Board’s Earl Weener explained, the driver should have saw the crossing’s flashing warning lights from a half-mile away (when traveling at 70-mph) (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/6/27/TruckcompanyinNevadatrainwreckhadcitations.aspx).

The two trucks following John Davis Trucking managed to stop and although the engineer hit the emergency brake, he was unable to stop in time, as the trucking company crashed through the crossing gates.

Why did this happen?  According to authorities, there are so many scenarios to consider that it may take up to a year to determine the cause, thetrucker.com explains.

But are there suspicions over the trucking company and driver?  The answer is yes.

When looking at John Davis Trucking’s safety record, authorities found that this was not the first crash the company had encountered.  In fact, they were cited with two fairly recent crashes, one in October of 2009 and another within four months which led to injuries.

Not only did the company have two accidents within the last two years, but 16 maintenance violations, seven within the past year, and one that took their truck out of service due to the tire threads on the tractor-trailer being exposed, according to thetrucker.com.

In addition to that, the company has been cited for “the driver failing to use a seat belt, an equipment defect on the rig’s hydraulic brake system, lane restriction violations, cargo violations that included prohibited hazardous material markings on packages one driver was carrying, and labeling problems” (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/6/27/TruckcompanyinNevadatrainwreckhadcitations.aspx).

Authorities continue to decipher the exact cause of the accident.

But if you don’t like option one there’s always…

Option 2: You can choose a carrier who has NEVER been cited for a piece of faulty equipment involved in an accident, has zero alert statuses, anti-crash technology that allows a set distance between the truck and a forward vehicle, and a reputable safety record.

Then you would choose a company such as Road Scholar Transport.  Road Scholar’s CSA 2010’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) rating, which scores a carrier and driver’s safety performance in seven BASIC categories, placing those with a score of 65% or higher on an “alert” status, resulted in zero drug and controlled substance violations and scores way below the 65% mark.

Check out Road Scholar’s CSA rating at http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/Data/carrier.aspx?enc=l05Z/rb3sYgqvgOzAB2Xgqm8glUOB4DLxD9aRMx/xK4=

Which option would you choose?

want a safe carrier

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