When you are given a scale house Level 1 DOT inspection and the inspecting officer finds something like an inoperable turn signal (burned out bulb) is that reported on your CSA score even if no citation is issued?
Yes.
The officer may have thought he was giving you a break by letting you change the bulb instead of issuing you a citation but with the violation documented, you get to be the proud new owner of some CSA points.
What really upsets me is it was working at the shipper 6 hours earlier. I was behind the truck as my wife backed onto the dock and the 4 ways and brake lights were working. Any vehicle can have a bulb go out. How are you to know until you stop?
You already know the answer to that question. The answer is, you don't know. And this is where CSA 2010 will drive some drivers out of the business and negatively impact freight flow.
Some drivers will simply decide that they have had enough of big brother and get out of trucking. Some will be forced out because they have too many CSA points. That leaves those who will at least try to keep on trucking as long as we can.
Word is getting out about CSA points and equipment violations that did not used to have CSA points attached, but can now threaten your very eligibility to drive a truck. I believe that will prompt driver behavior changes that will put truck maintenance ahead of customer service, and for very good reason.
I can see it happening where a trucker under load, on whose truck a minor equipment defect is discovered while en route, will take a service failure and head to the nearest shop before crossing the next scale. For a high-points driver, its a choice between a service failure, which gives a driver a black mark on his or her carrier record, or the CSA points that will break the camel's back and force the driver out of trucking.
This puts expedite carriers in a real pickle since minor equipment defects discovered en route were historically considered to be no big deal. They will be difficult to explain to the customer with delayed freight. A burned out light is not a force majeure event. A customer may legitimately demand a refund for the late shipment. Does the carrier then penalize the driver by collecting money back? Talk about a no-win situation for the driver and carrier!
Consignee to carrier: "Now let me get this straight, your driver had a tail light go out on the way to my plant, and for that my assembly line stayed down for four additional hours?"
It really does happen that lights that were working at the last stop burn out while you are driving down the road. What's a driver to do? At this point, bend over and take it. We can get more diligent and thorough in doing pre-trip, post-trip and during-trip inspections; but unless your co-driver can run really fast, it is difficult to monitor your flash, turn and tail lights every time you use them.
There is good news. As CSA 2010 contributes to the predicted driver shortage, drivers with clean or low CSA points records will feel the love. When that happens, they will have the opportunity to demand a premium for even being in the game.
Keeping in mind how easy it came to shippers and carriers to lower our rates when the recession produced a driver surplus, payback time will come when the shortage develops.
Yes, it is ridiculous to put employment-significant points on a driver's record for a minor equipment defect that can be rectified on the spot. But if that's the way "they" want it, I won't get upset. I'll get compensated.
If "they" are willing to put my job and truck on the line with every tail light that burns out, I am more than willing to demand higher pay to take that risk -- especially when fewer and fewer drivers can be found to haul the freight I am qualified and willing to haul.