Last week the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced that a record 74,072 truck and bus inspections took place during this year’s Operation Roadcheck, the world’s largest annual 72-hour roadside inspection and enforcement blitz for CDL drivers and trucking companies.
There were a total of 48,815 North American Standard Level 1 inspections - the most comprehensive roadside inspection - resulting in a total of 22.4% of vehicles, and 3.9% of drivers, being placed out of service. Both percentages are the second-lowest achieved in Roadcheck’s 25-year history, and continue a downward trend.
The overall OOS rates for the entire event in 2012, including all inspection levels, were 20.9% for vehicles and 4.6% for drivers, both of which were higher than Roadcheck 2011.
Despite the positive trend on Level 1 inspections, the CVSA expressed concern that one in five vehicles selected for inspection was found with a violation serious enough to be considered an imminent safety hazard. While the attention to maintenance and regulatory compliance generally is improving, more needs to be done by industry and enforcement alike.
“Once again, Roadcheck effectively identifies and removes from the road truck and bus companies that cut corners at the expense of safety,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “FMCSA embraces Roadcheck 100 percent and for good reason – it enforces high safety standards and improves roadway safety for everyone.”
The 74,072 inspections conducted during Roadcheck 2012 included 652 inspections of passenger-carrying vehicles and 4,826 inspections of vehicles carrying hazardous materials. Of passenger-carrying vehicles inspected, 8.6% of vehicles and 2.5% of drivers were placed out of service. Of vehicles carrying hazardous materials, 15.6% of vehicles and 2.3% of drivers were placed out of service.
Roadcheck 2012 took place June 5-7, with an average of more than 1,000 trucks or buses inspected every hour. Inspections included an examination of driver license and credentials, proper and complete records-of-duty status, safety belt use, driving behaviors and other driver safety conditions. Vehicles were examined for proper brake system maintenance, tire condition, function of lighting systems, properly secured loads and other vehicle condition-related violations.
About CVSA
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The CVSA's mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. CVSA member jurisdictions are represented by various Departments of Transportation, Public Utility and Service Commissions, State Police, Highway Patrols and Ministries of Transport.
In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Operation Roadcheck is a 72-hour roadside inspection and enforcement blitz in which an estimated 10,000 inspectors set up more than 1,000 checkpoints on highways across North America to monitor truck safety compliance. Since its inception in 1988, Operation Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world.
As in past events, this year's Roadcheck will focus on commercial vehicle and driver safety and security. However, with the advent of CSA, these roadside inspections now play an even more important role. That’s because all inspection violations will become part of your CSA record. The Safety Measurement System (SMS) uses the on-road safety performance of carriers and drivers to identify candidates for interventions, determine the specific safety problems a carrier or driver exhibits, and to monitor whether safety problems are improving or worsening.
Here are five steps you can take to make sure you survive Roadcheck 2012:
- Understand the inspection process. The roadside inspection involves a comprehensive 37-step procedure which includes items related to vehicle, driver and cargo safety. Click here for a complete list of the inspection procedures.
- Know the most frequently cited violations. Last year, CMV enforcement conducted nearly 71,000 truck and bus inspections during the three-day event, focusing primarily on the Level 1 inspection. HOS logbook violations led overwhelmingly as a percentage of all driver violations cited, as over 50% of drivers placed OOS because of HOS violations. With CSA’s Fatigued Driving BASIC, these HOS violations affect both the driver’s and the carrier’s CSA scores. Only 14% of those drivers inspected indicated they were using electronic logs. For equipment, the most frequent violations include brake issues, tires and wheels, lights, load securement, steering, frames, and suspensions. See Top Hazards for Truck Drivers during Roadside Inspections.
- Keep your vehicle clean and well maintained.
- Conduct thorough pre- and post-trip inspections.
- Treat the inspector with courtesy and respect.
For more information on Operation Roadcheck, visit http://www.cvsa.org/. The 2012 edition of the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Handbook and Pictorial is also now available for purchase.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
REGISTER NOW!!
Driving Ambition is proud to be a sponsor of the Indiana Motor Truck Association’s Spring Council Conference. The annual Conference, put on by the Safety & Maintenance Council, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 9-10, at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at Keystone Crossing.
This informative, two-day Conference will feature a variety of critical transportation-related topics, including:
- Driver Recruitment & Retention – presented by Jeremy Reymer, President & CEO of Driving Ambition
- Driver Wellness – presented by Chuck Gillespie, Program Director for Wellness Council of Indiana
- Cargo Theft – presented by Ari Berlin, Federal Bureau of Investigations
- FMCSA Update (CSA, EOBRs, HOS, and Sleep Apnea) – Kenneth Strickland, Division Administrator for FMCSA
- Fuel / Energy Price Advisory – presented by Jack Hunter, Risk Management Consultant for INTL FCStone, Inc.
- Alternative Fuels – Panel discussion led by Kellie Walsh, Greater Indiana Clean Cities Coalition
- Maintenance Compliance – presented by Michael Irwin, DEKRA Automotive North America, Commercial Fleet Performance Systems
- Indiana Transportation Projects – Keith Bucklew, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)
The Spring Council Conference begins in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 9, followed by an Awards Dinner featuring key-note speaker Rob Abbott, VP of Safety Policy for ATA. The Conference will end before noon on Thursday, May 10.
At only $80 for IMTA members to attend (only $130 for non-members), this is an incredible value!
For more information, and to register online, click here.
Register now and join us for this important industry update!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
During last month’s Mid-America Trucking Show, an FMCSA roadside inspector demonstrated key problem areas for drivers, fleets, and truck owners.
For drivers, the FMCSA inspector said the top five roadside violations are:
- Logbook issues – either not current, not signed, or otherwise incomplete
- Driver’s record of duty status isn’t current
- Driver isn’t in possession of a medical certificate
- Driver doesn’t speak English
- Fleet requires or permits driver to drive after 14 hours on duty
The inspector indicated that the top five Out-of-Service violations include:
- Fleet requires or permits driver to drive after 14 hours on duty
- False reports of driver record of duty status
- No record of duty status
- Driver fails to retain logs for previous seven days
- Carriers requiring or allowing drivers to drive more than 11 hours
The top five vehicle violations were also identified:
- No, or defective, lighting devices or reflective material, as required
- Required lamps are inoperative
- Tire tread depth of less than 2/32-inch
- Inspection or repair and maintenance of parts and accessories
- Oil or grease leaks
The inspector indicated that the top five vehicle Out-of-Service violations are:
- Inoperative turn signals
- Flat tire or exposed fabric
- Inspection or repair and maintenance of parts and accessories
- Inadequate brake tubing and hoses
- Stop lamp violations
The inspector gave a list of “pointers” to help drivers pass a roadside inspection:
- Be prepared
- Have a valid CDL
- Keep current logs
- Drive within allowed hours-of-service
- Wear your seatbelt
- Know the critical vehicle inspection items
- Have a professional attitude
- Keep in mind BLT - brakes, lighting and tires
- Know the three P’s of hauling hazmat – papers, placards and packaging
The inspector referenced the following critical vehicle inspection items:
- Fuel system
- Brakes
- Coupling devices (fifth wheel)
- Lighting devices
- Steer mechanism
- Suspension
- Frame and body components
- Tires and wheels
- Windshield wipers
- Load securement
- Rear view mirrors
- Horn
- Exhaust
- Emergency equipment
After an inspection, the FMCSA inspector said that drivers or fleets should repair out-of-service defects before operating the truck again. If that’s not possible, get the truck towed, satisfy any driver out-of-service requirements before driving again, repair non-out-of-service vehicle defects and turn in the inspection report within 15 days.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
CSA 2010 is one of a handful of significant safety initiatives being rolled out by the FMCSA this year. Described as a "game changer", it will have a lasting effect on every carrier and truck driver in the industry.
To keep our friends in the transportation industry informed, Driving Ambition will be hosting a special CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminar on Thursday, May 20th, in Cincinnati, OH featuring former FMCSA Admininistrator John Hill. The cost to attend the Seminar is only $25.00 and includes buffet breakfast. Registration and breakfast is from 8am-9am, followed by Mr. Hill's presentation from 9am-Noon.
What can we expect from the FMCSA in 2010?
In addition to covering CSA 2010, Mr. Hill will offer his unique perspective on a variety of other FMCSA safety and regulatory measures that will have a lasting impact on the industry.
We hope you can join us for the most important seminar of the year. Deadline to register is Tuesday, May 18th.
Click here to register now (credit cards are accepted).
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will hold this year's annual Roadcheck from June 8-10.
Operation Roadcheck is a 72-hour roadside inspection and enforcement blitz in which an estimated 10,000 inspectors set up more than 1,000 checkpoints on highways across North America to monitor truck safety compliance. Since its inception in 1988, Operation Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial vehicles in the world with an estimated 14 trucks or buses being inspected, on average, every minute from Canada to Mexico during the 72-hour period.
The inspections are held in cooperation with the FMCSA, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico.
As in past events, this year's Roadcheck will focus on commercial vehicle and driver safety and security. However, this year's version has the added bonus of being the first safety blitz that will affect your CSA 2010 score. Drivers should make sure their logbooks are current and their equipment properly maintained with no violations as CVSA inspectors will be checking both. Keep in mind that all inspection violations will become part of your CSA 2010 record. What inspectors find, or don't find, can affect your CSA 2010 ratings. Even violations not resulting in an out-of-service order will be tabulated into the CSA 2010 safety measurement system (SMS).
Under CSA 2010, vehicle-maintenance, load-securement violations, driver history, driver fitness (driver appropriately licensed), carrier crash history, and the use of controlled substances are among the criteria used to calculate a carrier's BASIC rating. Such data from roadside inspections is then measured to determine whether a carrier qualifies for an intervention by the FMCSA. For more information on CSA 2010, check http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/.
For more information on Operation Roadcheck, visit http://www.cvsa.org/.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) originally planned to begin implementation of their new safety overhaul, CSA 2010, in July 2010 and to have all states fully functional by December. It now appears full implementation could be delayed until spring, or even summer, of 2011.
The FMCSA recently indicated that the CSA 2010 program would get underway this year, but perhaps not as early as July 2010. The agency will soon issue a Federal Register notice addressing the implementation timeline. The agency issued this statement: "As part of FMCSA's commitment to launch a comprehensive and effective CSA 2010 program, the agency is in the process of incorporating the feedback received from partners and stakeholders in the CSA 2010 pilot states. In the coming weeks, the agency expects to issue a Federal Register notice that will address the CSA 2010 implementation timeline and data preview for commercial motor carriers."
There has always been two phases planned for CSA 2010. The first phase is scheduled to be rolled out this summer, based in part on what has been learned in a number of states that have been testing a pilot version. A second phase must go through the rulemaking process, including a period of public comment.
A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to address some of the details of implementation is key to the full roll-out, and it is likely that it will take beyond this year to get some of those worked out.
FMCSA plans to provide motor carriers with a limited preview of their CSA 2010 data beginning in April 2010. While this preview will include carriers' safety events (roadside inspections and crashes) and resulting violations, it will NOT reflect carriers' scores in each of the Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs), which is the heart of the new program.
FMCSA also announced that beginning November 30, 2010, motor carriers and the general public will be able to view more complete CSA 2010 Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS) data, including scores in each of the BASICs. On Nov. 30, FMCSA will also begin issuing warning letters to deficient carriers, but will not utilize the full range of CSA 2010 interventions. Instead, FMCSA will use the CSMS data "to prioritize" carriers for standard on-site compliance reviews.
Although we can expect to see a delay in CSA 2010's full implementation, carriers and drivers can't afford to put off education and preparation. Roadside inspection data continues to be collected, and it will continue to make up a carrier's score, regardless of when the program is completely implemented.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
A highly anticipated electronic onboard recorder (EOBR) rulemaking has moved another step closer to finality. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently finished its review of the rule and has returned it to the Department of Transportation (DOT). The final EOBR rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register by the end of March.
If publication comes soon enough, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) would be able to discuss the new rule at its fifth Hours of Service (HOS) listening session on March 26 at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky.
Although details are not yet available, motor carriers who demonstrated a history of serious noncompliance with the HOS rules and other safety issues would be subject to mandatory installation of EOBRs. The motor carrier would then be required to install EOBRs in all of its CMVs and to use the devices for HOS recordkeeping for a period of two years. In addition, FMCSA would also encourage industry-wide voluntary use of EOBRs by providing incentives for motor carriers, and will spell out new performance standards for the EOBR devices that will be used.
The EOBR issue isn't settled once FMCSA publishes this rule, however. The FMCSA has said it will consider further expanding the number of motor carriers required to install EOBRs as part of a rulemaking that also will address supporting documents for HOS compliance. FMCSA says it will consider reducing or eliminating paperwork burdens associated with supporting documents in favor of expanded EOBR use.
In another development, FMCSA sent its proposal for banning text messaging while driving over to the White House OMB, as part of its effort to combat distracted driving. Earlier this year, FMCSA issued regulatory guidance outlawing texting by drivers, but said they would also be issuing a series of rules to support that guidance. Several states have said they either cannot, or do not, intend to enforce the ban until there is a firm rule in place.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
On March 11, 2010, the Indianapolis Traffic Club (ITC) held their first major event of the year. Former FMCSA Administrator John Hill spoke to a sellout crowd in Indianapolis as he discussed CSA 2010 and other FMCSA initiatives we can expect in the year ahead.
Driving Ambition, Inc. and National Transportation, Inc. co-sponsored the seminar that kept nearly 100 attendees captivated as John Hill gave his unique perspective on the FMCSA's goals in 2010.
Trucking companies as well as CDL drivers will benefit from the information presented by Mr. Hill. To view the entire presentation, please click here.
Left to right: Jeremy Reymer, President & CEO of Driving Ambition; Former FMCSA Administrator John Hill; Ryan Walter, Corporate Rental Manager of Palmer Leasing Group.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
By Les Nugen, Marvin Johnson & Associates
The "good driver" has been given a bad name in a lot of companies. So much so that I am ready to proclaim that the "good driver" will be the one that puts you out of business. But Les, don't we all want good drivers working for us you ask? How can a good driver possibly put us out of business? Well, the answer depends on whose definition of a good driver that you use.
Let me give some all too frequent examples of how a good driver is defined:
- A driver tests positive on a drug test. The company wants to make an exception to their zero tolerance policy and keep him because - he is a "good driver".
- A driver has 3 out of service inspections, several speeding stops, and a following too closely showing on Safestat in just over a year and the company wants to keep her because - she is a "good driver".
- We analyze your collisions over the past several years and find that the same drivers show up several times in preventable accidents and they are kept around because - they are "good drivers".
When did the definition of a good driver get so twisted around anyway? A good driver does not behave anything like the scenarios listed above. A good driver does not put themselves, the people around them, or your company at risk. The drivers in the scenarios above repeatedly put all of these at risk.
The drivers in these scenarios are poison to company morale. Many drivers that are actually good drivers do not want to drive for companies who retain these types of drivers. If you have policies in place that are meant to control these types of behaviors then making exceptions to them to keep one of these drivers only makes the other drivers frustrated and untrusting of management.
With the changes coming about due to CSA 2010 these "good drivers" are going to lead to all kinds of interventions and interactions with the FMCSA. Eventually this can only lead to bad outcomes if enough of these interventions take place. Another issue that is starting to worry many legal experts in the industry is that with the new information that will be available to you on drivers' histories that there could be increases in accident settlements and negligent hiring or retention law suits. It is easier to make the case for this when the attorney can show that the driver had a pattern of violations and the company ignored it.
Knowing all of this, let's quit giving the actual good drivers in the industry a bad name. Drivers who have bad safety records are not good drivers no matter how many loads they will deliver on time or when dispatch is in a pinch. A truly good driver delivers the freight AND does it safely. In fact, why don't you go tell your drivers that really are good drivers how much you appreciate the job that they do for you. These drivers are the key to your company's success going forward.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.