As a trucking business, you know the FMCSA is a big deal. They run a lot of different programs related to safety, and one of those is the CSA, or Compliance, Safety, Accountability. You might be wondering how you can do well at the CSA. Trucking businesses are subject to a lot of inspections and such, so it’s important to know how to do well with the CSA. Here are a few tips.
How to do well in the CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability)
1. Review your records.
The first thing is looking into your records to make sure that your information is correct. Having the right details on your record is essential. That means checking the following…
Your MCS-150. You need to make sure that your Motor Carrier Identification Report (MCS-150) is current and correct. (That means looking specifically at the Miles Travelled and the Number of Power Units, which are used for certain SMS purposes.)
Your BASIC categories. Your BASIC status includes things like your on-road performance and data concerning your inspections and crashes.
Your investigation results. You also need to look at the SMS and FMCSA Portal results.
You also should keep copies of your inspection reports (and evidence related to violations). Then you can request reviews of possible incorrect data through Dataqs.
2. Stay in compliance.
Now, reviewing your records and information is all fine and well, but you also have to make sure you’re staying in compliance. That’s why you need to keep up with regulations. Here are a few tips for staying in compliance:
Look at your inspection/violation history. You should also review your inspection history for the past two years. That way you can look and see if there are any patterns that you need to address. You can see if there are any areas in which you could stand to improve.
Use the Safety Management Cycle. You can also use the Safety Management Cycle. You can also use the Safety Management Cycle to see if your business faces any issues that could be causing compliance issues.
Educate your drivers. You also need to make sure your drivers understand the implications of all of this. They need to know that all violations, not just out-of-service violations, count in the SMS. They also need to understand that their performance has an impact on their Pre-employment Screening Program record…plus the SMS of the motor carrier itself.
Use CSA/FMCSA resources. There are a lot of helpful FAQs that can answer questions and give guidance on compliance. You can even look into specific guidance on each of the BASICs.
3. Use the CSA website.
The CSA website has a lot of helpful information that’s easy to access. They frequently update the resources on the website, so you can find a database of FAQs as well as other helpful tools to aid compliance. There’s also an email feed you can sign up for so you get the most updated information. Through the website, you can also submit questions and take a look at the extensive collection of FAQs. (And like we mentioned, there’s also a lot of helpful information concerning the SMS and the BASICs.)
So, that’s how you can handle the CSA. Compliance, Safety, Accountability might sound rather intimidating, but with some research and practice, you can do great. Besides, safety is important, and it can help your business in the long run.
Get truck insurance quotes.
It’s also really important to get the right truck insurance for your business. You need to be able to protect your business from the risks you face. Our team likes to make insurance easy and we like to help businesses save money on their trucking insurance. You can get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.
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