If you’re in the trucking world, you probably know all about the CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) program from the FMCSA. It’s all about safety. It’s important to stay in favor with the FMCSA, and that means excelling in the CSA. Here are a few tips so you can improve how you’re doing in the grand scheme of things.
Read more5 tips to improve in the CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
Being in the trucking world means that you’re subject to many regulations. The FMCSA takes safety seriously – they have the CSA, or Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. You might wonder how to navigate the program and how to excel in it. And that’s why we’ve created this CSA survival guide for trucking businesses.
The Safety Measurement System might seem like quite the mystery – how does it calculate and figure out its rankings and numbers, anyway? For trucking businesses, these rankings, including the Crash Indicator, are a big deal. Why are all crashes used in these calculations, even the ones where carriers are not at fault? It doesn’t seem fair. But it’s not as dire as it seems, and there is a reason for it. We’ll explain the reasoning behind using all crashes in the Crash Indicator.
Read moreWhy are all crashes used regardless of a carrier’s accountability?
In addition to requiring roadside inspections of all commercial vehicles, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operates the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program. This program oversees driver and motor carrier intervention and investigation. The primary purpose of CSA is to research the reasons for safety violations, recommend solutions to improve driver behavior and eliminate violations, and encourage specific corrective actions.
If a driver with a poor inspection report fails to comply with the recommendations for improvement, the CSA will step in and impose strong penalties for non-compliance. The CSA monitors and enforces three levels of intervention known as early contact, investigation, and follow-on. We’ll focus on the investigation efforts the FMCSA can take and explain the different types of investigation they might conduct.
Read moreWhat are the different types of FMCSA investigation?
If you have a trucking business, hiring the right people is crucial. Having drivers who are committed to safety is so important for maintaining good loss history and DOT scores – they’re the people who are operating trucks for you and who are delivering loads for you. That’s why MVR checks are a big part of being an employer for a trucking business, and why it’s so important to do pre-employment screenings as well. Here are a few reasons why MVRs and pre-employment screenings are such a big deal.
Read moreThe importance of doing MVR checks for trucking businesses
If you’re going to be driving hotshot, you’re in a unique insurance situation. It’s a unique line of work, after all, since you’re using a hefty pick-up truck to haul loads for a profit. So, it can be tricky to get your insurance all set up properly. One question you may have is whether you can work under someone else’s DOT, like an owner-operator. Now, that’s a great question, and we’ll explain why driving hotshot is different than being an owner-operator with a semi-truck. We’ll give you some helpful information about hotshot truck insurance.
The COVID-19 pandemic has, obviously, had a huge effect on the world and the country. A lot of businesses have been in upheaval, and trucking and towing businesses have not escaped the turmoil. Our team has been watching what’s been going on with the pandemic, and we’ve been doing our best to help our clients problem-solve. During this very worrying time, we hope to help truck businesses keep their finances stable. We’ve got a few things we can look into to see what options there are for us to help our clients during COVID-19.
Read moreHow our team can help with your truck insurance during COVID-19
Your portal account on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website provides the information you need to remain compliant, check your own record, and much more. It can certainly be frustrating when you can’t access the system for a variety of reasons. Below are some common causes of difficulty along with troubleshooting tips to get you back on the website.
Read moreWhat do I do if I have issues with my FMCSA Portal Account?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issues operating authority in several categories. The category you fall into depends on the type of goods you transport and your origination and destination points. We’ll explain what it means to be a household goods carrier.
On April 1, 2002, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revised its regulations regarding the Motor Carrier Identification Report. The more common name for this report is MCS-150. For the past 18 years, the FMCSA has required motor carriers to update the report at least once every 24 months. This is true even if the motor carrier has no changes to report. The requirement came about in response to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, Section 217.
Read moreHow to change your Motor Carrier Identification Report information