Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (FMCSA)
2020 Drug & Alcohol Testing Random Rates:
The FMCSA has increased its annual random drug testing rates
from 25% to 50% for 2020. The random alcohol testing rate will remain at 10%.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration holds motor carriers and drivers responsible for meeting safety standards and regulations. FMCSA has their own safety compliance and enforcement program called CSA, which stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability.
Carriers can find their data stored on FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS), which they use to track the number, severity, and date of safety violations, as well as crash and inspection data. Data is also maintained for the number of vehicles a carrier owns and operates, as well as the miles that were traveled.
DOT Compliance DOT Agencies Fleet Management & Reporting
Get FMCSA Compliant
Abante combines technology and screening innovations to deliver employee information quickly and accurately. Contact us today to discuss how Abante can keep you FMCSA compliant!
The FMCSA uses Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvements Categories (BASICs) to organize SMS data. Data is derived from the following categories, according to the CSA:
- Unsafe Driving – Violations include not wearing a seat belt, speeding, distracted driving, reckless driving, and improper lane changes.
- Crash Indicator – A history of the drivers crash records (non-public) are reviewed.
- Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance – Noncompliance with HOS regulations, including logbooks.
- Vehicle Maintenance – Brakes, lights, defects, and failure to make repairs.
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol – Use or possession of drugs and/or alcohol.
- Hazardous Materials Compliance – Leaking containers, improper packaging, and/or placarding (not public).
- Driver Fitness – Must be medically fit to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and hold a valid license.
Once this data is derived, carriers are then grouped with others who have similar safety incidents, then a ranking system is used to determine prioritization for interventions that seek to help improve s
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS The ELD Mandate is Working: FMCSA Reports
The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule went fully into effect April 1, 2018 and has since been making positive strides in the transportation industry. The rule enforces drivers who are required to log Hours of Service (HOS) records of duty status (RODS) to use an ELD. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), since going into effect, “less than 1% (4,720) of all driver inspections (559,940) have resulted in the driver being cited for operating without a required ELD or grandfathered Automatic On-Board Recording Device (AOBRD).”
Following its initial soft roll out in December 2017 where drivers had the time to acclimate to ELDs without a full enforcement, the ELD mandate showed violation rates dropped significantly from 1.19% in December to 0.83% in January. Another significant drop, down to 0.69%, occurred once the hard deadline went into effect in April.
The FMCSA’s statistics show the positive impact that the ELD mandate has had since going into effect. This in turn stirs conversation for future bills, like the Honest Operators Undertake Road Safety (HOURS) Act, which will use the data derived from the ELD mandate to improve truck safety and supply chain efficiency.
How Abante Can Help As rules and regulations continue to change, it’s important to adapt to new policies and maintain compliance. Abante's Transportation Compliance (ATC) reporting delivers a distinct user experience for both DOT and non-DOT regulations and standards.
