“Employers can access this data only for new hires,”
Wessendorf said. Also, safety investigators will have access to it, indicating a carrier’s specific safety problem. A carrier can then be investigated. Finally, if the problem persists, the carrier and FMCSA
collaborate to come up with a plan to fix the underlying safe- ty problems. A notice of violation is used when the regulato- ry violations discovered are severe enough to warrant formal action, but not a civil penalty. A notice of claim is sent when violations are severe enough to warrant assessment and issuance of civil penalties.An operations out-of-service order requires the carrier to stop all motor vehicle operations.
TIMELINE The rollout of the CSA is already well-underway. Last fall, SMS replaced SafeStat and FMCSA started sending warning letters to carriers with alerted BASICs.Additionally, roadside inspectors have already begun using the SMS results to tar- get carriers needing inspections. This year Safety Fitness Determination Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is scheduled to be released.
MORE CHANGES The CSA 2010 is not the only change to come for those in the CMV field. “Just this last January, all interstate carriers are required to
have electronic on-board records,” said Wessendorf, “which can get pretty expensive for fleets.” The EOBRs are devices attached to commercial vehicles that automatically record the number of hours drivers spend operating the vehicle. Additionally, changes regarding CDLs and medical certi- fications will happen after Jan. 30, 2012. Drivers will be required to present their medical certificate to obtain or renew their CDL from their State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA). The SDLA updates the information in the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS). If the medical certificate expires and the driver does not get a new certificate and/or the SDLA doesn’t update the CDLIS within ten days, the CDL is classified as “Not Certified” and the driver can be ticketed and placed out-of- service. After 60 days, the CDL is downgraded. “That is going to have a huge impact on drivers,” said
Wessendorf.
www.npnweb.com NPN Magazine
MARCH 2011
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