Dear Viewer,
Is GPS navigation an advantage or a liability? A U.S. Senator is pushing for a national standard. There’s more to discuss about CSA’s ability to predict a motor carrier’s crash potential. Finally, a California deadline for tractor tires comes into play soon.
Sincerely,
Joe Morrison
GPS Navigation – Advantage or Liability?
Recently Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking that the DOT investigate the possibility of a national standard for GPS units used in trucks. Schumer says that faulty directions have led to around 200 low bridge impacts per year in New York state costing millions in repairs.
In September a trucker from Illinois was on his way to an industry in northeast Indiana. While following the directions on his GPS he came across the bridge pictured to the right and decided to continue. His truck became wedged in the 12′ 6″ high bridge and caused $300,000 damage. The structure was built in 1873 and has a posted 3 ton weight limit.
Should there be a national standard for GPS units used in trucks? Most people in the industry would say that the last thing we need is yet another regulation where Washington tries to solve a problem with a one size fits all solution. However, there is growing evidence that trucker’s reliance on GPS devices is causing problems.
Many truckers are using the lower cost consumer models that simply route you on the shortest/fastest routing. Having said that, it’s unlikely that even the trucker models are aware of every weight restricted bridge and low clearance. Utilizing only GPS directions can still lead to trouble. So the question is: “Do you provide routing information to your drivers and how do you do it?”. An answer to this question just might save your company a $300,000 bridge damage claim.
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has begun to gather information about how motor carriers provide directions to drivers. Once the survey is completed, they’ll compile the results and issue a report. Use the following link to take part in the survey:
Hazardous Materials
Effective January 1, 2013, the UN number must come first on the bill of lading’s hazardous materials shipping description. Most shippers are already complying but it’s something to watch out for.
In what year was the first federal law passed regulating the transportation of hazardous materials? Answer below.
CSA – Crash Predictor?
The American Transportation Research Institute recently released a study analyzing the CSA program. Specifically they were looking at the relationship between BASIC scores and crash risk. This area of CSA has been the most contentious with FMCSA defending the predictive nature of the scores and other studies indicating that there is no relationship.
The ATRI report has something for both sides. Out of the five BASIC categories available to the public, they found that high scores in two of them, Driver Fitness and Controlled Substances and Alcohol, did not result in a higher crash rate. In fact, carriers with higher scores actually had a lower crash risk. The study suggests that the scoring methodology puts too much emphasis on safety irrelevant violations in these two categories and not enough weight on safety critical violations.
However, for the other three BASICs the study did find a strong relationship between high scores and increased crash risk, especially for the Unsafe Driving BASIC. A carrier with an Unsafe Driving score of 99 was three times more likely to be involved in a crash than a carrier with a score of 0.
The study found that the best indicator of crashes is “not how many BASIC scores a carrier has, but how many Alerts a carrier has.” For example, a carrier with an Alert status in Unsafe Driving has a crash risk of 1.74 times higher than other carriers below Alert status.
ATRI has recommended methodology changes to provide the public only information that can reliably be tied to safety. After all, that was the initial goal of the CSA program.
In response to the ATRI report, FMCSA issued a press release which said, in part, “FMCSA will conduct in-depth review of ATRI’s report and its underlying analysis, conclusions, and recommendations. The Agency will carefully consider this information as we work to make well-informed decisions about how to further strengthen the CSA program to better identify unsafe carriers and address safety problems before crashes occur.”
Answer: July 3, 1866. Congress passed a law regulating the transportation of explosives and flammable material. This was prompted by problems transporting these items during the Civil War.
California Advisory
The California Air Resources Board has issued Advisory Mail-Out MSC# 12-19 to explain how the low rolling resistance tire requirements for 2010 and older model year tractors will be implemented. The Advisory notifies owners of 2010 and older affected tractors that these tractors must comply with the January 1, 2013 tires deadline by using SmartWay verified tires (new or retread). However, the Advisory also clarifies that owners may continue to use non-SmartWay verified tires manufactured before January 1, 2013, until the end of the tire’s useful tread life, or until January 1, 2015, whichever comes first. Any new or retreaded tire manufactured and installed on an affected tractor after January 1, 2013, must be a SmartWay verified tire. After January 1, 2015, all tires on affected tractors must be SmartWay verified.
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