Letters: CSA Program

I made a startling connection the other day in regard to company scores on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Compliance, Safety, Accountability program and those high-scoring companies’ driver turnover — or churn — rates that I find extremely disturbing: The higher the CSA score, the higher the company’s churn rates.

Another discovery I made at that time was that many small motor carriers — the ones that would be classified as “mom-and-pop” operators or “startups” — have the same problems, but they usually don’t pay their drivers for miles or work done or operate “compliant, roadworthy equipment” because their profit margins are way too slim to ensure that their equipment is safe. They often take unnecessary risks with safety and inspections in order to stay in business.

It’s these smaller motor carriers that should be closely watched to ensure compliance. The big-box carriers are doing good work to ensure they are at the level of safety and compliance required for good CSA scores. Anyone leased to a mom-and-pop carrier should be asking what their lessor’s CSA score is — especially before they sign that lease contact with that mom-and-pop carrier. Anyone leased to them also should be aware that their CDL record will be hit first and your clean CDL abstract is the most valuable asset you can own, being a professional owner-operator.

David Ritter

Over-the-Road Driver

Klamath Falls, Ore.

CSA Program

If the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration refuses to make changes to the BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category) for accidents because of questionable police accident reporting, then what does that say for the rest of the program, which is almost entirely based on roadside inspections?

We in the trucking industry know that the varied training — or lack thereof — among law enforcement leads to many “questionable” reports. Regardless of the evidence presented, these are seldom overturned by the overworked enforcement people working with FMCSA’s DataQs system.

Wayne Yoder

Director of Safety

Bryan Systems

Montpelier, Ohio

Editor’s Note: FMCSA’s DataQs system provides an electronic means for filing concerns about federal and state data the agency has released to the public. Concerns about data are forwarded automatically to the appropriate office for resolution. The system also allows filers to track each filing’s status.