What is CSA 2010?

Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, CSA 2010, is a new, high-impact Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) safety program to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes. It introduces a new enforcement and compliance model that allows FMCSA and its state partners to contact a larger number of carriers earlier in order to address safety problems before crashes occur. When the program is fully rolled out by the end of 2010, we will have a new nationwide system that will make the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike!

Why is CSA 2010 being implemented?

FMCSA’s mission is to improve safety by reducing crashes. Over the past few years, the rate of crash reduction  has slowed, prompting FMCSA to take a fresh look at how the agency evaluates the safety of motor carriers and drivers and to explore ways to improve its safety monitoring, evaluation and intervention processes. CSA 2010 is the result of this comprehensive examination. CSA 2010 will enable FMCSA and its state partners to assess the safety performance of a greater segment of the industry and to intervene with more carriers to change unsafe behavior early.

What is the CSA 2010 Operational Model?

The CSA 2010 Operational Model is the new way FMCSA and its state partners will carry out the compliance and enforcement programs. The CSA 2010 Operational Model is characterized by (1) a more comprehensive measurement system, (2) a proposed safety fitness determination methodology that is based on performance data, and (3) a comprehensive intervention process designed to more efficiently and effectively correct safety problems

What are the BASICs and how are they used in CSA 2010?

The Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs, are seven categories of safety behaviors measured in the Safety Measurement System (SMS). The BASICs represent behaviors that can lead to crashes: unsafe driving, fatigued driving (hours-of-service), driver fitness, controlled substances/alcohol, vehicle maintenance, and cargo-related; and crash indicator. The Carrier SMS uses a motor carrier’s data from roadside inspections, including all safety-based violations, State reported crashes, and the Federal motor carrier census to score and rank carriers in each BASIC.

Where can I find more specific information about measurements for specific BASICs?

For a detailed look at the safety measurement system methodology including in-depth information on how data would be categorized and scored for the BASICs, Please read the Safety Measurement System(SMS) Methodology.

If my BASIC scores go up what will happen?

Higher scores will cause a motor carrier to enter, or remain in the pool of carriers with deficient BASICs. Increased scores may make a carrier subject to more severe interventions.

Where do clean inspections come into play in the CSA 2010 Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) measurement? Are they included in the “number of time weighted relevant inspections” formula?  If so, are all clean inspection rated the same, or do different levels deserve a higher positive BASIC assessment.  For example, are Level I clean inspections rated more positive than Level III?

The Fatigued Driving (HOS), Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance, and Cargo-Related BASICs all use “relevant inspections” as a denominator for assessment of carrier performance.  For example, any time a driver is examined in an inspection, there is an opportunity for a violation that would impact the Driver Fitness BASIC.  Since there is an opportunity for a violation, it is considered a “relevant inspection” for that BASIC.  An inspection in which a driver was looked at with no Driver Fitness violations recorded (i.e. a “clean inspection”) would have a positive impact on the Driver Fitness BASIC. 

Put simply, “clean inspections” help prevent the Fatigued Driving (HOS), Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance, and Cargo-Related BASICs from becoming deficient, or help to improve those BASICs if they are already deficient.

Will CSA 2010 consider both carrier and driver safety performance?

Yes, SMS will monitor both driver and carrier safety performance.

Appendix A in the SMS Methodology lists all violations and the corresponding “violation points”. Does the column showing “driver responsibility” mean both driver and carrier will be assessed points or just the driver?

The violations count against the carrier whether the “driver responsible” answer is yes or no.   Through the CSA 2010 project, a separate Driver Safety Measurement System (SMS) has been developed and is being tested to identify individual drivers in the BASICs across multiple employers. The “driver responsible” column in the violation tables indicates whether the violation would count against an individual driver in the Driver SMS.

In 2010, is the system going to merge the old Safety Evaluation Area (SEA) values and the new BASICs or is the system going to use Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology for the past 24 months (including 2009 data)—how is that going to work?

Safety Evaluation Area (SEA) values derived from the existing/old Safety Status (SafeStat) measurement system will not be merged or used in any way in the CSA 2010 Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS). When the new Carrier SMS is implemented beginning in 2010, it will evaluate the previous 24 months of roadside inspection and crash data, including 2009 data.

What’s the difference between SafeStat and the new Safety Measurement System?

There are six important differences between the new Safety Measurement System (SMS) and the Agency’s current measurement system, SafeStat:

• SMS is organized by seven specific behaviors (BASICs) while SafeStat is organized into four broad Safety Evaluation Areas (SEAs).
• SMS identifies safety performance problems to determine the intervention level while SafeStat identifies carriers for a compliance review.
• SMS emphasizes on-road performance using all safety-based inspection violations while SafeStat uses only out-of-service and selected moving violations.
• SMS uses risk-based violation weightings while SafeStat does not.
• SMS will eventually be used to propose adverse safety fitness determination based on a carrier’s own data while SafeStat has no impact on an entity’s safety fitness rating.
• SMS includes two distinct safety measurement system, carriers and drives, while SafeStat assesses only carriers.

What is different between a Compliance Review and CSA 2010 Interventions?

There are five important differences between CSA 2010 interventions and FMCSA’s current compliance review (CR):

• CSA 2010 provides a set of tools to address carriers' safety problems; the CR is a one-size-fits all tool.
• CSA 2010 interventions provide the ability to focus on specific safety problems while the CR requires a broad examination of the carrier.
• CSA 2010 interventions focus on improving behaviors that are linked to crash risk; CR is focused on broad compliance based on a set of acute/critical violations.
• CSA 2010 focused onsite investigations and offsite investigations are less resource intensive and less time consuming for the carrier; CRs are resource intensive.
• CSA 2010 investigations may take place at a carrier’s place of business or offsite; CRs are generally conducted onsite

What is the Operational Model Test?

The Operational Model Test is a field test of the new Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) Safety Measurement System (SMS) and comprehensive intervention process. During this test, a representative sample of interstate motor carriers within the Sates of Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, and New Jersey are being measured in SMS and are subject to interventions, while another representative set of carriers (a control group) within the four states, are subject to the existing compliance and enforcement process.  Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, and Montana are also part of the test; however all carriers in these states are measured in SMS and subject to interventions.  The test will continue for 30 months into mid-2010, at which time FMCSA is planning full implementation of the CSA 2010 model. For more information visit About CSA 2010: Operational Model.

Do roadside inspections completed in states not in the Operational Model test affect the CSA 2010 safety ratings of carriers from Operational Model test states?

Current roadside inspections impact the CSA 2010 Operational Model test, even if activity is reported through a non-participating state. Roadside inspection findings for test group motor carriers will impact that carrier’s Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) scores whenever and wherever they are performed.

What is the proposed approach for Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) and why is it not part of the Operational Model test?

The proposed CSA 2010 SFD is not part of the Operational Model test as it will require a major rulemaking effort. There are four important differences between FMCSA’s current safety rating process and the proposed CSA 2010 SFD:

• The proposed SFD would not be exclusively tied to onsite reviews, while the current safety rating process can only be issued or revised via an onsite review.
• The proposed SFD would be updated regularly, while the current safety rating process provides a snapshot of compliance only on the date of the most recent CR.
• The proposed SFD would be based on violations of all safety-based regulations, while the current safety rating process is based only on critical and acute violations.
• The proposed SFD rating labels under consideration are Unfit, Marginal and Continue to Operate; the current safety rating process labels are Unsatisfactory, Conditional and Satisfactory.

How will you implement CSA 2010 in the rest of the country?

FMCSA will implement CSA 2010 nationwide starting in late summer of 2010, and the program is envisioned to be fully rolled out by the end of 2010. Between now and full implementation, FMCSA is launching an outreach effort to raise awareness of the coming change.

What are the carrier interventions?

Interventions include early contact: (1) warning letter (2) carrier access to safety data and measurement information (3) targeted roadside inspection; investigations: (1) offsite investigation (2) onsite focused investigation (3) onsite comprehensive investigation; and follow-on interventions: (1) cooperative safety plan (2) notice of violation (3) notice of claim and (4) settlement agreement.

When does a carrier intervention take place?

The intervention process is triggered by: (1) one or more deficient BASICs, (2) a high crash indicator, or (3) a complaint or fatal crash. Intervention selection is influenced by (1) safety performance, (2) hazardous material or passenger carrier status, (3) intervention history and (4) investigator discretion.

How long does a carrier remain in the CSA 2010 intervention process?

Generally speaking, a motor carrier remains in the CSA 2010 intervention process until the carrier no longer has deficient BASICs. In the event of a carrier’s BASIC score(s) falling below the threshold during an investigation or other intervention, the agency will complete its work.

When will SMS stop flagging me?

The Safety Measurement System (SMS) will stop flagging the motor carrier when the carrier's safety performance reflects BASIC scores below the intervention threshold. This can happen in one of two ways: 1) improved performance as demonstrated by clean inspections at roadside; and/or 2) poor inspections count less as they age and eventually fall outside of the 24-month timeframe.

How will carriers gain access to CSA 2010 data? Will we be able to view other companies’ safety scores?

The public will continue to be able to view motor carrier data. FMCSA is currently finalizing the methodology for accessing data; however, logged-in motor carriers will have access to some information that will not be made public, such as driver names, licenses, and other personal information.

What is CSI and how do I get a PIN to access CSI?

CSI stands for Comprehensive Safety Information and is the data system for CSA 2010. CSI access is currently limited to motor carriers participating in the CSA 2010 Operational Model test. It is scheduled to be available to all carriers in the summer of 2010. Participants in the Operational Model test may use their current DOT-issued PIN to gain access to CSA. To request a new PIN (personal identification number), visit the FMCSA Website and select 'I want to request a copy of a document' or call 1-800-832-5660 for assistance.

Will motor carriers be able log into the CSA 2010 system with a PIN to see additional data? 

Yes, motor carriers will be able to log into the CSA 2010 system with their DOT PIN to see additional data.

Will the crash indicator be available for public view?

Similar to the Accident SEA values not being shown on SafeStat, there is no current plan to make the Crash Indicator available for public viewing.

Under CSA 2010, will detailed information still be available in each safety evaluation area (SEA)?

FMCSA is currently finalizing the methodology for accessing data. Similar to the current SafeStat system, there will be a public view and a private view of the data; however data will be categorized by BASICs scores rather than by SEA values. Motor carriers will be able to log into the CSA 2010 system with their DOT PIN to view some information that will not be made public, such as driver names, license numbers, and other personal information.

Will motor carriers and the public have access to a website similar to that of SafeStat?

Yes, similar to the current SafeStat system, there will be a public view and a private view of the data. Until CSA 2010 is implemented nationwide, only motor carriers in the test states (Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, and Montana) have access to the CSA 2010 SMS.

How does compliance help my business?

If you are not in compliance, you may be subject to costly repairs, delays and penalties, or may be ordered off the road entirely. For additional information, visit FMCSA's Safety is Good Business.

What information is available to help me achieve compliance?

FMCSA recently updated "A Carrier's Guide to Improving Highway Safety", December 2009. This is designed to assist the motor carrier in understanding and complying with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. For this information, visit FMCSA's ETA Program.

As extensive users of SafeStat, what will trucking-related businesses such as insurance companies and collections agencies use instead of SafeStat scores?

Trucking-related businesses will be able to view the new measurement results when SafeStat is replaced.  They will have the same ability to search for carriers and view carrier results much like they can via SafeStat.  The differences is that the results will be presented based on seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) under the new measurement system  and SafeStat presents results based on four Safety Evaluation Areas (SEAs).  Also, all Safety Violations from roadside inspections feed the new BASICs where only the out-of-service violations feed the SafeStat SEAs.

Will you work with carriers and drivers that are having minor problems?

In the majority of situations, if a motor carrier is experiencing a minor problem that does not result in a deficient BASIC score, the motor carrier will not receive an intervention. The interventions in CSA 2010 are designed to assist motor carriers and drivers in improving their safety performance. Under the CSA 2010 Operational Model, motor carriers will receive an intervention when their roadside inspection and crash data point to poor performance in a key Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). This intervention could range from a warning letter to a comprehensive on-site investigation.

How long do I have to get into compliance?

There is no grace period for achieving compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. However, carriers should know that their safety performance in SMS will be based upon the previous 24 months of on-road performance and crash data when CSA 2010 is implemented. Understanding the regulations and ensuring vehicles and drivers are safe today will help keep carriers off of FMCSA’s expanding radar tomorrow.

Will motor carriers be notified of drivers with poor scores?

Carriers are notified about drivers with poor scores only in conjunction with carrier interventions.  During a carrier investigation, Safety Investigators examine drivers who have been cited for severe driver violations.  Carriers will be able to look up driver safety performance information, with the driver’s permission, in early 2010 as part of FMCSA’s New Driver Pre-Employment Screening program.

Are there any plans for notifications to be sent to drivers if their SMS falls into a deficient level? 

No.  At present only carriers receive warning letters if their SMS score becomes deficient in any BASIC. FMCSA does not have plans at this time to directly contact drivers.

Is there going to be an enforcement case? Am I going to be fined?

CSA 2010 is as strong on enforcement as today’s model. Notices of Claim (NOCs) are part of the CSA 2010 intervention process.

Who can see the Driver Safety Measurement System data?

Currently, the Driver Safety Management System (DSMS) results are strictly being used as an investigative tool for law enforcement and are not available to carriers, drivers, or the public.  Law enforcement officials use the DSMS results to examine the safety performance of individual commercial motor vehicles (CMV) drivers when conducting CSA 2010 carrier investigations but do not use the DSMS results to intervene with individual drivers outside of a carrier investigation.

What kinds of driver safety performance data is CSA 2010 looking at?

The new program focuses on driver enforcement for serious rule violations, such as:

• Driving while disqualified

• Driving without a valid commercial driver's license

• Making a false entry on a medical certificate

• Committing numerous hours of service violations

Will roadside inspectors use the Inspection Selection System (ISS) to select carriers CSA 2010?

Yes, ISS will continue to exist under CSA 2010. FMCSA is planning to have the CSA 2010 measurement system feed the ISS algorithm (ISS-D) instead of SafeStat.

Can you describe the CSA 2010 Driver Safety  Enforcement process?

The driver enforcement process provides FMCSA with the tools to identify unsafe drivers and to verify and address the issues. The new Driver Safety Measurement System evaluates the roadside performance of drivers across employers over a three year period and enables Safety Investigators (SI) to identify drivers with poor safety histories, who work for carriers that have been identified as requiring a CSA 2010 investigation. If the investigation results verify the driver violation(s), FMCSA takes an enforcement action against that driver, such as a Notice of Violation or a Notice of Claim.

I have heard that FMCSA will make driver safety performance histories available to carriers for pre-employment screening in the near future.  Is that true and is that part of the CSA 2010 driver program?

The program you are talking about is an FMCSA initiative that has been undertaken separately from CSA 2010.  Beginning in early 2010, FMCSA’s Commercial Drivers Pre-Employment Screening Program will provide carriers with individual drivers' safety performance histories with previous employers. These “Driver Profiles” contain important driver data including crash and inspection histories for individual drivers. Under the program, a driver would authorize FMCSA to release this information to carriers through a third party contractor. Drivers will also be able to obtain their own crash and inspection file through the third party or through a FOIA request with FMCSA.  The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a press release on this new program in October 2009.  It can be read athttp://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/news/news-releases/2009/pre-employment-screening.aspx.

Will citations play a role in the BASICs or carrier ISS algorithm?  For example, a driver has a violation for torn strap (10 points) and receives a citation; does the citation add anything to the carrier’s BASIC or ISS scores?  

Citations do not influence the BASIC Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores.  Those scores are influenced by violations as recorded on the roadside inspection.  To see which violations influence which BASICs check out Appendix A in the SMS Methodology document, which can be found here: http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/Documents/SMSMethodologyVersion1_2Final_2009_06_18.pdf.  The new ISS algorithm has not been finalized yet.

Do individual CMV drivers get an individual driver safety rating under CSA 2010?

No.  Under the new program, as it is currently constructed in the Operational Model test and planned for implementation, FMCSA will not rate or determine the safety fitness of individual CMV drivers beyond what is currently defined in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.  This does not preclude FMCSA from developing a driver rating or safety fitness determination process at some time in the future.

How will CSA 2010 address accurate and timely reporting of recordable crashes?

Inspection and crash data that are collected and reported to FMCSA must meet high standards of uniformity, completeness, accuracy and timeliness. The FMCSA has made significant strides to improve the data quality of crash and inspection data by the development of a comprehensive program that includes: raising the awareness of the these standards, developing a means to measure State safety data quality, and working directly with States through either a State onsite review process or direct technical assistance to improve the quality of State safety data.

Why does FMCSA’s new CSA 2010 program emphasize driver safety enforcement?

Studies have shown that unsafe driver behavior, both on the part of CMV drivers and other drivers, is a major contributor to commercial motor vehicle-related crashes. Some studies indicate that a small segment of the CMV driver population is involved in a disproportionately large number of crashes. As a result, during the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is expanding its approach to identifying and addressing unsafe drivers during interventions with motor carriers.

The CSA 2010 timeline shows that in July 2010 warning letters will be sent nationally. Does this mean carriers will get a warning letter if their scores require warning intervention, of does this mean every carrier will get a letter stating CSA 2010 is being implemented?

FMCSA plans to begin rolling out the CSA 2010 Warning Letter component of the new intervention process in the summer of 2010.  Warning letters are generated when the Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS) identifies a problem in one or more of the BASICs.  At this time FMCSA does not plan to send all carriers letters to indicate that CSA 2010 is being implemented.

If a vehicle is in a crash, and has a post-crash examination conducted which finds several Out-of-Service (OOS) violations as a result of the crash – do each of those count against the appropriate BASIC?

In a post-crash inspection, violations that are the result of a crash are not used in the Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS).  Violations that are considered existing prior to the crash are used in the CSMS.

How will CSA 2010 address the issue of non-preventable crashes?

FMCSA is developing a protocol for determining crash accountability for fatal and non-fatal commercial motor vehicle crashes under CSA 2010. The goal of developing the protocol is to only include crash records where a carrier was shown to have some level of accountability for the crash event.

Does crash preventability factor into anything? Will the new system improve crash data or will industry be assessed on same poor data?

FMCSA has this on its radar and a team working on the issue. As results come in and decisions are made, information will be updated for industry.

The crash BASIC references accident accountability. Does this mean that the accident report will be reviewed to indicate who was at fault?

The structure of the new SMS is such that crash accountability is not automatically determined or considered. Consequently, motor carriers are identified for possible intervention based on recordable crashes without consideration of accountability. However, FMCSA is considering several short- and long-term approaches to address this issue, which will be presented for public comment and consideration. The short term approach would require that crashes be evaluated by an FMCSA or State safety specialist during an investigation before crashes would be counted in a motor carrier’s formal safety fitness determination. The longer term approach would filter out "non-accountable" crashes so they would not be considered by the new SMS for identification of carriers for intervention. Approaches to determining crash accountability for safety fitness determination purposes will be detailed in a forthcoming notice of proposed rulemaking for formal public comment.

What is the detailed process for drivers to contest information contained on their driver records?

Drivers should use FMCSA’s DataQs system (https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.asp) to challenge data in FMCSA databases.  At present, the Agency is in the process of improving the DataQs website to make the process of challenging data more apparent to drivers.  Therefore, in the future, the look of the tool and the challenge selections, will be changing.

In the meantime, for drivers to challenge their data today, they must first register.  From the DataQs home page, a driver should select "register on-line" as a general public user and create a DataQs account profile.  Once registered, the driver will be able to challenge his or her data by following detailed instructions in the help menu. 

What is a Cooperative Safety Plan (CSP)? Do we have to develop a CSP?

The Cooperative Safety Plan (CSP) is a structured plan for safety improvements based upon the underlying factors causing the carrier's safety problems. It is a voluntary plan, on the part of the carrier, to improve the carrier's safety performance.

Does it matter if the CSP is filled out electronically or handwritten?

Both handwritten and electronic versions are acceptable.

Was there a listening session in 2009 concerning the CSA 2010 conversion? How can I get additional information?

Two public listening sessions were held in December 2009.   Additional information including the session presentations is available at:http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/listeningSessions/.

Is the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program still going to exist, and if so, what is the connection between the new systems?

The New Entrant Safety Assurance Program will still exist.  The new New Entrant rule became effective in December 2009.  The CSA 2010 Operational Model is performance driven and New Entrants exhibiting  unsafe behavior as indicated by SMS will be incorporated into the interventions process while remaining in the new entrant program.

Will all motor carriers with safety problems get a warning letter before they hear anything else from FMCSA?  Is CSA 2010 introducing a truly progressive intervention process?

Motor carriers will enter the interventions process based on the nature and severity of their safety problems.  If a carrier’s safety problems are serious, it may enter the process through receiving an offsite, onsite focused or onsite comprehensive investigation.  If a carrier’s safety problems are just emerging, FMCSA will issue a warning letter.   If a carrier’s safety performance does not improve or diminishes after receipt of a warning letter, the carrier will enter the progressive process and receive an investigation.  If performance improves, the carrier will no longer be identified for intervention.

Do you have a safety consultant that you can recommend?

No. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not provide a list or otherwise recommend specific safety consultants.

Will every motor carrier get a warning letter next summer upon CSA 2010 national implementation?

Only carriers that have been identified by the new SMS as needing a warning letter will receive one. If a carrier does not receive a warning letter then either the carrier’s safety performance was not identified as an issue, or the carrier will be directly contacted by an FMCSA representative for an investigation.

Will drivers with safety deficiencies get warning letters?

No, at this point in time, drivers will not be receiving a warning letter, however, this enhancement to the program may be added in the future.