CSA 2010 Updates

The Latest Information About CSA 2010

FMCSA Launches New Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Program for Commercial Trucks and Buses

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today took a major step toward improving commercial truck and bus safety with the launch of the Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program.

The centerpiece of CSA is the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which will analyze all safety-based violations from inspections and crash data to determine a commercial motor carrier’s on-road performance. The new safety program will allow FMCSA to reach more carriers earlier and deploy a range of corrective interventions to address a carrier’s specific safety problems. 

“The CSA program will help us more easily identify unsafe commercial truck and bus companies,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Better data and targeted enforcement will raise the safety bar for commercial carriers and empower them to take action before safety problems occur.” 

The program also advances the Obama Administration’s open government initiative by providing the public with safety data in a more user-friendly format. This will give consumers a better picture of those carriers that pose a safety risk. CSA was also tested in nine pilot states before the program was launched. 

“We worked closely with our partners in the motor vehicle community to develop this powerful new program,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “CSA is an important new tool that will help reduce commercial vehicle-related crashes and save lives.”
The SMS uses seven safety improvement categories called BASICs to examine a carrier’s on-road performance and potential crash risk. The BASICs are Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service), Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related and Crash Indicator. Under FMCSA’s old measurement system, carrier performance was assessed in only four broad categories. 

By looking at a carrier’s safety violations in each SMS category, FMCSA and state law enforcement will be better equipped to identify carriers with patterns of high-risk behaviors and apply interventions that provide carriers the information necessary to change unsafe practices early on. 

Safety interventions include early warning letters, targeted roadside inspections and focused compliance reviews that concentrate enforcement resources on specific issues identified by the SMS. 
 

CSA 2010 Operation Model: Measurement, Evaluation, Intervention

The new CSA Operation Model has been launched to build on the FMCSA’s existing processes for evaluating and improving the safety performance of motor carriers and drivers through this new safety measurement system, complete with a new suite of tools to assist you in taking on these methods. 

For More Information…
View complete details on CSA’s New Operational Model by clicking here.

CSA 2010 Rollout Timeline 

The FMCSA has developed a revised schedule for the roll out of CSA 2010 in line with its commitment to launch this program in the most effective way possible. The rollout schedule is designed to methodically step federal and state enforcement staff, as well as the motor carrier industry, into the program one stride at a time – increasing the safety benefits through better understanding and increased accountability for good safety performance.  The rollout timeline is outlined below:

• April 12 - November 30,2010 - Motor carriers can preview their own data by seeing their roadside inspections/violations and crash events organized by Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC).
• Fall/Winter 2010
  • SafeStat will be replaced by the CSMS. CSMS will be available to the public, including shippers and insurance companies.
  • FMCSA/States will prioritize enforcement using the CSMS.
  • FMCSA will begin to issue Warning Letters to carriers with deficient BASICs.
  • Roadside inspectors will use the CSMS results to identify carriers for inspection.
• 2011
  • Safety Fitness Determination Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is scheduled to be released.
  • Enforcement staff will be trained and new interventions will be implemented State-by-State.

View the "Just the Facts" information sheet provided by the FMCSA here.

Under CSA 2010, FMCSA will:

• Reach more CMV carriers earlier and more frequently;
• Improve efficiency of carrier investigations by focusing on specific unsafe behaviors, identifying causes, and requiring corrective actions;
• Hold carriers and drivers accountable for their safety performance, demanding and enforcing safe on-road performance;
• Count all safety-based roadside inspection violations, not just Out-of-Service (OOS) violations.

Centerline is committed to providing our clients and drivers with the latest information on CSA 2010.  Check back here often for easy access to updates and news as they relate to you or your business.