Whether the driver of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or not, violations of Federal motor carrier safety regulations will be used to generate a driver’s score under the new CSA program, according to J.J. Keller, a fleet safety consulting and information company. Addressing widespread confusion over the new Federal safety monitoring program, Keller’s “FleetMentor Focus” has told fleet subscribers that all drivers of CMVs over 10,000 lbs. GCW in interstate service will be included in the driver portion of the CSA program.
Under Federal regulations, a CDL is not required to operate a vehicle under 26,001 lbs. GCW unless it is towing a trailer with a GVW over 10,000 lbs. or is carrying placarded hazardous materials.
The safety score or rating for drivers under the new CSA program is based on individual violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) governing things such as hours-of-service compliance and roadside inspections. Points issued to a driver’s CDL or non-CDL for traffic infractions have nothing to do with the CSA program, according to the J.J. Keller information update.
Some truck drivers are confused about the differences between the violations of traffic laws and Federal motor carrier rules, according to the consulting company.
“On some occasions, a driver may be issued a citation for a traffic event which then produces a roadside inspection and possible violations relating to ,” Keller said in its “FleetMentor Focus” bulletin. “It is equally possible that violations recorded on a roadside inspection report may not result in the driver receiving any citation(s). In this case, the violations will appear on the information and not show anything whatsoever on the individual’s driver’s license or [motor vehicle record]!”
The company also pointed out that any violations recorded under CSA will travel with a driver’s profile no matter where they work as a professional driver. That individual score, however, will not impact any future employer’s fleet CSA score as those fleet scores are based on inspections connected to the fleets USDOT number, not to the activities of drivers working under another fleet’s authority, Keller said.
