Watch your P's & Q's NOW

TeamCaffee · Nov 15, 2009

CSA 2010 FMCSA New Carrier Rating System Measured by 7 Behavior Analysis & Safety Improvement Categories

CSA 2010 will have devastating affects on those of you that like to speed, do not pass a DOT Level 1 inspection or get put out of service right now before the law goes into affect. The above site has lots of good information that is sure worth the time to browse through. I pulled one part out though that really got my attention and is located first by clicking on "A Free Report" then towards the bottom of the page at "If You are a Driver" click here then read down to page 8.

It is important to note that the FMCSA will be looking at the last 36 months of your driving record, including roadside inspection data to determine your safety score. Since the program is set to begin in mid 2010, so what you are doing on the road today will have an impact on your safety score when CSA 2010 is fully implemented.
It gets even more serious. As you know, violations carry a certain weight or points. Violations that occur in the most recent 12months will have the point value TRIPLED in the calculation of your safety score! So a 5 point violation for speeding will count 15 points in determining your score. What you are doing right now on the road carries the biggest weight!

CSA 2010 is a fact and this can either become your new best friend or your new worst enemy. Being prepared and aware of how CSA 2010 will affect us is very important.

guido4475 · Nov 15, 2009

After breifly looking at this site provided regarding the new rules, I would think that vans would not fall under this radar just yet,making them possibly more valuable and useable to a company.

greg334 · Nov 15, 2009

We asked for this, so we have to live with it.

Actually Guido what you drive has nothing to do with it,

It is about the D R I V E R.

So as a driver for Panther, FedEx, Landstar, E-1, or any place where you apply with a 10 year work history, have an MVR pulled, take a DOT physical, have DOT numbers on your van or the company is works under an authority - you do indeed fall under the CSA 2010 program because it is all about the Driver.

TeamCaffee · Nov 15, 2009

It is all about the driver and the drivers who watch their step they will be a wanted commodity by the companies. Our score will directly affect the carriers score and their insurance.

greg334 · Nov 15, 2009

TeamCaffee said:
It is all about the driver and the drivers who watch their step they will be a wanted commodity by the companies. Our score will directly affect the carriers score and their insurance.

I don't believe that the drivers like me who take extra precautions and have a clean record will be any more valuable as a contractor as one with a fair record and accumulated points.

If you read how the system works, there is a limit to the damage to the company's score as a driver. The company can recover their score through a couple ways and it doesn't impact them long term unless there is a serious management problems. The one remediation to a company's high score is to terminate the driver's employment or contract and document the termination as part of the improvement process.

On the other hand if a driver accumulates so many points, they can be BANNED from driving any commercial vehicle.

The value of a contracted driver will not changed until there is a stricter training method and requirements that the person has to meet, like zero points on their license, good financial standing or what ever to restrict the entry level driver (those are just examples by the way).

Companies, specifically large companies will not change their attitude, the contracted driver is a commodity that is used to meet the customer's needs and they will continue to talk about safety and fairness but won't deliver.

Now the other thing that CSA 2010 may have a real bad effect on is smaller companies that have been created to help the owner/operator cover their driving problems and habits. The small operator may be affected by this to the piont they may have to shut down their business.

fatboy1 · Nov 17, 2009

whhhoooooaaaaa nelly

termite289 · Nov 19, 2009

just the fmcsa blowing wind. if they terminate all the experienced drivers who got a speeding ticket or two in the past three years, well then the country will have to import Mexican trucks (in my opinion is the purpose of this) or train rookies by the boat load, (not that that isn't happening already either). the highway death toll will sky rocket, and some moron congressman will finally ask what those idiots at the fmcsa are doing, as they seem to have no over site.
although it is sad to see the problems that fmcsa shooting themselves in the foot could potentially cause, i truly hope that this will eventually lead to some common sense about transportation regulations.
i run legal, company mandates it. no more wi to jersey overnite and then back to wi for me. i like it better this way. less stress. so as i am less stressed out, when the fmcsa starts blustering, and posturing about how we are the desil demons, just so they can get Mexican trucks in, with drivers who cant read the road signs, i simply have to grin a bit.
they would be smart to get some steel toed shoes before they pull the trigger, but we know that isn't going to happen.

greg334 · Nov 19, 2009

Termite,
I think it is funny that many think CSA 2010 and EOBR/logging will help the drivers by forcing the carriers/shippers to respect us more - higher rates/shorter wait times at the dock seem to be popping up a lot but both are wishes.