Focus on CSA 2010

Thank you to our readers for the many favorable comments we’ve received in response to the special report on CSA 2010 that Transport Topics produced as part of the April 26 issue.

The report — a joint effort by all parts of our staff — provides a comprehensive overview of the new safety regime that is slowly being implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

And we can’t stress just how important the program — officially known as Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 — will be to all companies involved in moving freight in this country.

While CSA focuses on fleet behavior and expands fleet responsibility for actions by its drivers, the demands of the new rule certainly will affect shippers and brokers as well, as fleets toughen up their policies to ensure they meet the letter of the law.

In the long run, most parties involved in the trucking industry expect that CSA will improve things, by making sure that everyone adheres to the rules and regulations that are designed to govern safety.

Unfortunately, history has shown that the uneven enforcement of some provisions of the old safety regime has encouraged some fleets to not live up to the standards. This noncompliance has harmed the fleets that do adhere to the rules by lowering the costs of those that flout them and who, in turn, undercut the compliant carriers.

The new program lays out specific requirements for fleets and drivers, and makes clear the penalties for noncompliance.

While fleet executives are never eager to see more regulations and the added costs they always carry, many in the industry, in this case, say the benefits that will result from making sure most fleets follow the rules will be adequate compensation.

The hardest part for fleets will be the break-in period, as the new CSA measurements are applied to them. This start-up period is going to require new procedures for some fleets and is likely to have a negative effect on the pool of available drivers because carriers surely will look harder at applicants’ safety records.

There are still several outstanding issues concerning CSA details, and we applaud FMCSA for slowing the program’s implementation as it examines comments and complaints expressed by industry experts during the public comment period.

In the end, CSA should be a major step forward for all who make their living moving freight on the nation’s roadways.