The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could add a new element to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) system by including a voluntary safety compliance program similar to how the SmartWay Transport Partnership is geared to incentivizing environmental technology and practices among carriers.<\/p>\n
CCJ magazine<\/i> reports the proposal is part of\u00a0 the so-called \u201cBeyond Compliance\u201d system required by the FAST Act highway bill, which requires the agency to provide some sort of recognition to motor carriers that go above and beyond baseline compliance \u2013 either by crediting those efforts in the existing Safety Measurement System of the CSA program or create a new BASIC category of measurement.<\/p>\n
As CCJ reports, in a Federal Register notice published last week the agency appeared to be leaning toward adding an eighth BASIC.<\/p>\n
Like the SmartWay Transport Partnership with the U.S. EPA, in which carriers voluntarily invest in verified fuel-efficient technology in exchange for being named and promoted as a certified \u2018SmartWay\u2019 carrier, the new voluntary SMS category would require carriers to apply to be a part of it.<\/p>\n
FMCSA Associate Administrator for Enforcement Bill Quade told attendees at a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance\u00a0Workshop event in Chicago, that the new BASIC would show that a carrier has put a safety-enhancing technology, practice or program into use in its trucks and\/or operations.<\/p>\n
However, CCJ reports the announcement was met with mixed reaction. Some carriers expressed the opinion that FMCSA should instead \u201cassist carriers in improving their (CSA) scores\u201d rather than creating a new, separate BASIC.<\/p>\n
Joe Rajkovacz, representing the Western States Trucking Association, said FMCSA\u2019s\u00a0 focus should be on improvements within the existing CSA SMS. Particularly, he said, eligibility requirements for participants, with associated costs, seem to exclude those who might otherwise have benefited.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, some felt the proposal to lock out \u2018Conditionally-rated\u2019 carriers could be problematic.\u00a0\u00a0 Rob Abbott of the American Trucking Associations, noting the struggle carriers have faced getting even consideration of an upgrade<\/a> from Conditional to Satisfactory as agency division resources are spread thin. \u201cWould it be wrong to recognize a fleet with a Conditional rating that had made an investment in improving safety?\u201d<\/p>\n Swift Transportation\u2019s Nick Malchesky noted he might have a tough time justifying \u201cpaying to be a part of something I\u2019m already paying millions of dollars to put in,\u201d referencing his company\u2019s investment in safety technology. \u201cWe\u2019re already paying, so to ask us to pay again to fund [the program] seems a little unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n The Federal Register notice is open through June 20 for comments.<\/p>\n Complete details of FMCSA\u2019s proposal can be read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n