CSA- Compliance, Safety, Accountability

As drivers we are the last informed about what the D.O.T. and transportation enforcement officials are up to. Yes the CSA 2010, now just CSA ( Compliance, Safety, Accountability) is a U.S. reality at the present time. It will soon become the North American standard. Canadian enforcement officials are still unaware of any of this if the officers were telling me the truth when they told me they have had no departmental training on the subject.

As U.S./Canada drivers you should know that the CSA applies to your operation in the U.S.  How they apply it to you while you are driving in the U.S. may not be detrimental at the point of inspection, but once you are in the system you will be monitored. You won’t be knocked out of service by your scores but you can receive monetary fines from them. If your company is audited by the U.S. D.O.T. they will have to answer to your bad scores and be made to exercise correctional actions against you which could be anything from training to termination. The companies insurance will probably prohibit insuring you before it gets that far. Still it is a record you carry for 3 years which now becomes a tool for your next employer to use for a hiring tool.

Watch this video, if it doesn’t load click HERE

 

Youtube video from Foley Services

So you may not see the affects directly at the moment as a Canadian driver because everything is good up until the moment of impact. So how does a driver protect himself for the future?

First lets get rid of the MYTHS.

Myth: CSA is dead!
Fact: CSA is alive and kicking. Though the FMCSA temporarily delayed portions of the program into 2011 and is periodically “tweaking” it, implementation is moving forward. There has been no indication from the agency that the program will be further delayed or suspended. In fact, beginning August 16, 2010, the FMCSA says carriers will be able to see their BASIC scores, a major step in the implementation process.

Myth: If a driver is overweight (has a high Body Mass Index) or has a large neck size, he or she could fail the new CSA Driver Fitness Standards and be pulled from the road.
Fact: There are no new fitness standards under CSA. One of the seven categories on which carriers and drivers will be judged, the “Driver Fitness BASIC,” simply tracks compliance with existing driver qualification rules. Of course, the FMCSA could adopt new qualification rules at any time, but that usually involves a lengthy rulemaking process. This myth may have formed because neck size and BMI relate to a person’s propensity to develop sleep apnea, a condition whose safety effects are currently under review. This myth may also relate to the fact that roadside violations for the vehicle being overweight (usually reported as a violation of §392.2W), were included in early versions of the CSA scoring process for the Cargo-Related BASIC.

Myth: If I collect too many CSA “points,” my CDL could be suspended.
Fact: The new scoring system for CSA relies on a severity rating (or “points” system) for each safety violation, but that has nothing to do with your license. The CSA scoring system and the CDL licensing system are separate systems. No matter how many severity points you collect, that in itself will not affect your CDL. Conversely, no matter how many points you accrue on your license, that in itself will not affect your CSA scores.

Myth: A moving violation will only appear in the CSA scoring system if it results in a conviction.
Fact: If a moving violation is noted on a roadside inspection report, then it will be used in the scoring system regardless of whether a ticket was issued.

Myth: The CSA program will mean a bunch of new safety rules and paperwork requirements.
Fact: CSA is used to track and enforce compliance with the existing regulations. If the current regulations don’t require it, neither will CSA.

Myth: The FMCSA has dropped the idea of scoring drivers.
Fact: The CSA model indicates that drivers will be individually scored in the seven BASICs, based on the past 36 months of data, and may be subject to certain types of intervention from the FMCSA if their scores are bad enough. Driver scores will only be available to enforcement personnel, however, and driver interventions will only take place during a carrier audit.

Myth: We’ll have a “fresh start” once CSA is turned on.
Fact: Once the CSA program is implemented, carriers and drivers will be scored based on data that is already on the books. Driver scores will be based on the past 36 months of data, and motor carrier scores will be based on the past 24 months of data.

Myth: All roadside tickets/warnings/convictions/violations of any kind will affect our CSA scores.
Fact: The CSA scoring system will use violations that are reported on roadside inspection reports by qualified officers. If it doesn’t get reported into the FMCSA’s data system (MCMIS) via a roadside inspection form, the violation will not affect your CSA scores.

Myth: Having access to CSA scoring information and the new Pre-employment Screening Program will mean that carriers will no longer have to get drivers’ driving records or perform background checks.
Fact: The CSA program will not affect carriers’ obligations under Part 391 for qualifying drivers. Motor carriers will still need to contact previous employers and obtain drivers’ driving records.

 

So how does a driver prepare for this ?

It is really quite simple, do your job safely and by the regulations. If you are diligent with your pre-trip inspection, time management, don’t rush, keep your log book up to date and learn your hours of service and Schedule 1 inspections, you shouldn’t have a problem.

 

Until next time, BE SAFE !

 

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