FMCSA Releases Proposed Changes to CSA

FMCSA Releases Proposed Changes to CSA

Earlier this week, FMCSA published a Notice/Request for Comment on changes the agency has proposed for the CSA program. The purpose of the changes, according to the Notice is to “more effectively identify and prioritize high-risk and other unsafe motor carriers for enforcement interventions.” In order to accomplish this, FMCSA proposes to:

• Move cargo/load securement violations from the Cargo-Related BASIC to the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC;
• Rename the Cargo-Related BASIC the Hazardous Materials (HM) BASIC, which will better identify HM-related safety problems and change how HM carriers are classified to allow for increased intervention scrutiny;
• Better aligning SMS with Intermodal Equipment Provider (IEP) regulations;
• Eliminate vehicle violations derived from driver-only inspections and driver violations from vehicle-only inspections;
• Improve the identification of passenger carriers; and
• Modify the SMS website display to change current terminology, including the terms “Insufficient Data” and “Inconclusive,” to fact-based definitions that clarify the carrier’s status in each BASIC and distinguish between crashes with injuries and crashes with fatalities.

The preview of the changes will be available to enforcement and motor carriers for review and comment through July, at which point the changes will also be made available to the public for review. Comments are due May 29th, 2012.