Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/114712
CSA vs.the independent Drivers for the smallest carriers have a much greater chance of getting inspected and put out of service than those at the largest carriers under FMCSA's complex safety rating system. Learn how CSA is stacked against independents, what states are the most aggressive enforcers, why most carriers still have no public safety score, and how you can best avoid inspectors. By Todd Dills 26 | Overdrive | February 2013 March 2013 CSA2_0313.indd 26 scoring. Smaller carriers showing public BASIC (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Category) percentile rankings on average receive negative (higher) scores. At the same time, because most How do carriers measure up under CSA? Many don't know because four out of five have yet to receive a public score. CSA's DATA TRAIL PART 2 Inconsistent enforcement EDITOR'S NOTE: Working with CCJ and RigDig Business Intelligence, a division of Overdrive publisher Randall-Reilly Business Media, we analyzed inspection and scoring data for CSA's first two years. Here we offer insights into enforcement patterns and what you can do to keep your business in the clear. Todd Dills T he truck of an independent owner-operator is four times as likely to get inspected as a truck running under the authority of carriers with more than 500 trucks, according to inspection data from the first two years of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. The likelihood of being placed out of service is three and a half times as great for independent drivers – and almost twice as likely for their vehicles – compared to those of the biggest fleets. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration insists that its system is not biased against any carriers. Any apparent disparities are not flaws, but simply a reflection of how CSA is structured, the agency says. One factor in the skewed enforcement actions against small operators is CSA 2/28/13 7:36 PM