With the first steps of implementing new regulations for Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) complete, the trucking industry needs to prepare for a second wave of CSA add-ons, with a heavy emphasis on e-logs.
Jeff Davis, officer for Fleet Safety services and safety compliance expert, spoke at the CCJ magazine 2014 summer Symposium. Davis said truck fleets, which are constantly under scrutiny by law and regulatory agencies, will have to “redouble their efforts to stay ahead of the curve on CSA in order to protect their basic score.”
Phase 1 of the CSA was the official launch of the program, and involved the education and training of the various regulations. About to begin is the second phase, which Davis clarified is “the actual intervention phase which CSA was all about in the first place.”
The main challenge with the shift between the two phases, as Davis explained, is the CSA program is being used in ways they never intended nor expected, and the only way fleets can prevent detrimental CSA scores is to use e-logs.
New regulations will include added steps to the Medical Certification of drivers, such as undergoing a hair test for the clearance of drugs and alcohol, as well as a sleep apnea test. Fleets with U.S. licenced drivers will also have to use doctors with an FMCSA Medical Providers Certification to monitor the health of drivers for licencing qualification purposes (Canadian drivers already use certified medical providers as part of the licensing system in Canada).
For fleets to not fall behind on the new CSA implementations, Davis urges companies to take their own steps now,” I recommend checking your database on every driver to ascertain whether they’ve had a prior drug or alcohol violation and follow up to make certain they are in compliance now.”
