Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Safety Announcements

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has recently announced some modifications in the Safety Measurement System (SMS) that will be rolled out to the nation in December.  This is a part of the FMCSA's initiative entitled CSA 2010 (Compliance, Safety, Accountability).  The changes include the following:

1. Modify the presentation of SMS BASIC results

• Change the term “Deficient” to “Alert” when a motor carrier’s score in one or more BASICs is above the FMCSA threshold for intervention. 
• Change the highlight color from red to orange.
• Improve the language to clarify that BASIC results signify the carrier is prioritized for an FMCSA intervention.

2. Modify Cargo-Related BASIC

• Recalibrate the Cargo-Related BASIC by adjusting the cargo securement violation severity weightings based on input from subject matter experts (SMEs).
• Modify the public display to show the SMS Cargo-Related BASIC violations only.  The percentiles and intervention status will not be on public display.

BASIC refers to the CSA SMS's Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories.   Let's hope the new system does provide more accountability for drivers and the trucking companies and thus promotes better compliance and safety.    However, removing the percentiles and intervention status from the public displays does not seem to promote accountability. I am anxious to see what the additional analysis leads the FMCSA to do with this category.