The CSA 2010 program recently launched by the FMCSA may be threatening the commercial truck industry in an already weakened U.S. economy.
The programs initiatives are supposedly in the interest of safety, but we may see a negative effect on commercial truck insurance rates because of it, and worse yet, fewer jobs for small fleets and independent truckers.
CSA 2010 presents their safety data (which includes drivers records, company accident history, equipment ratings, etc) as public record. One needs only to visit the website to view safety scores. While the idea isnt necessarily a bad one, the means used to arrive at the scores may not be totally accurate.
As a result,
truck insurance rates may climb and shippers may waver unnecessarily based on the way the program was introduced.
CSA 2010
THE Compliance Safety Accountability 2010, or CSA 2010, is a comprehensive program designed by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) to improve safety for trucks and other commercial vehicles. They do so under the authority of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The aim of the program is to analyze data relevant to commercial truck safety and implement new safety regulations based on their findings. Data is collected by reviewing driving records of both truck drivers and large-scale motor carriers.
Arguments against CSA 2010
Many organizations that represent the commercial trucking industry, including the Owner Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) oppose this program. The OOIDA, in particular, feels that the rating system unfairly penalizes independent drivers more than motor carriers.
One of the biggest concerns is that the CSA 2010 safety scores do not reflect whether a driver or company was at fault in a traffic accident. It merely shows that they were involved and that involvement affects the safety score. Opponents of CSA 2010 worry that this misleading data can cost people jobs in the future.
The other major concern is that this safety data is available for anyone to view. This means that
commercial truck insurance companies can use this data to raise
truck insurance rates fro drivers and carriers with bad scores, even if those scores dont rightfully reflect their history.
