(April 16 2012) — Carriers are taking multiple steps to comply with CSA, the new safety rating system in the U.S, according to results from Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) First Quarter 2012 Business Expectations Survey.
The survey says 65 percent are utilizing three or more methods, making changes not only to comply with federal regulations, but also because shippers and brokers are beginning to monitor and select carriers based on CSA scores.
“The agility of the trucking industry to adapt to change has been clearly evident with new safety methods and cooperation from drivers in a true team effort,” observes Richard Mikes, TCP Partner and survey founder.
Two years ago, a TCP survey found that half of truckload carriers were unprepared for CSA 2010. “CSA is now a major issue in the eyes of shippers and carriers; schedules are being challenged, and it’s putting demands on professional safety and maintenance talent in the market place we have simply not seen before,” adds Jim Parham, TCP Partner.
The most popular compliance methods are training for drivers so that they understand how CSA 2010 can affect their careers (78.1%), changing how sub-performing driving is monitored (63.2%), and investing in technology to help monitor CSA 2010 (55.3%).
Other current methods that carriers are using to comply to CSA 2010 is to have an on-staff CSA manager, hire retired state police, or investing in electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs), a practice that is rapidly growing throughout the industry. Larger carriers are taking more steps than smaller carriers, most likely due to more capital being dedicated to new processes and technology, the survey finds.
