More CSA 2010 Thoughts

Well, this isn’t totally related to CSA 2010, but I’ve discovered if you use the words CSA 2010 a lot, it makes you show up higher on the search engines. So CSA 2010, CSA 2010, CSA 2010. Anyway, I’ve noticed that some of my customers’ Out of Service rates are staying fairly steady over the past 30 months, yet their Safestat scores are going up. Safestat and CSA 2010 operate on the principle of comparing you against all the other motor carriers with DOT numbers. The worst performers in terms of violations and accidents gets audited. CSA 2010 is just like Safestat in this regard; it’s just using a new methodology.

If my Out of Service percentages are staying the same, but my Safestat score are going up, it can only mean one thing: everyone else is getting better. It means I’d better get better too. For example, if I’m hitting .300, and the rest of the team is hitting .250, I’m the best hitter on the team. If next year everyone else is hitting .350, and I’m still hitting .300, I’d better pick it up, or I’m going to be benched or cut.

This could make sense. In the area of logbooks, more carriers are utilizing the electronic logs, which drastically cut down on the number of logbook violations a carrier receives. Also, with the advent of EZPass technology, and scanning kiosks at truckstops, there is probably less paperwork for a DOT cop to inspect in the truck at the time of a DOT roadside stop. Less paperwork means less chance of being nailed for a false log. All this means, there are less driver violations being cited on the roadside. This means you have to get your drivers to be cited less, too, to keep up with the Joneses.

Another analogy (I love analogies) is driving on the road. You are running at 75 mph, with a pack of other cars. You are with the flow of traffic, your chances of getting stopped are small. Suddenly the pack slows down, but you’re still going 75. Your chances of getting nailed have now increased greatly. You do not want to be nailed with a DOT audit.

Flying Dog

My webmaster told me once the site looks much better with a liberal number of graphics. Any graphics. So, I will insert the flying dog, to spruce up the front page. I believe I will name this dog, “CSA 2010″.