Not only do motor carriers remain concerned about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) rules, but some of their shippers are concerned about carrier CSA performance. That finding comes from consultancy Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) Second Quarter Business Expectations Survey.
According to survey authors Richard Mikes and Lana Batts, both TCP partners, just over 72% of carriers surveyed say that some of their customers are concerned about CSA scores while only 21% say no and 6% report that all of their customers areconcerned.
“The integrity of the data and predictive values has forced negative response from carriers’ organizations showing a growing concern amongst both carriers and shippers to this latest regulation,” said Mikes.
“CSA continues to be a major concern for the carriers, especially over the last few months as FMCSA has inadequately responded to the concerns of carriers,” noted Batts. She pointed out that last quarter, TCP found that 65% of carriers surveyed are using three or more methods to comply with CSA rules. That compares with two years ago when TCP found that 50% of truckload carriers were unprepared for CSA regulations.
While 33% of the larger carries surveyed said they are using electronic logs on all their trucks, over 55% of the smaller carriers are not.“Larger carriers have been more rapid in adoption and appear equipped to implement required training of drivers and support staff through their operations,” Batts remarked. “For smaller carriers, these changes can be much more of a burden.”
The survey found that the cost of implementing CSA regulations also concerns carriers, with 75% indicating that the cost of compliance per driver has been at least $500 or more. And 35% said t indicate those costs are over $1,000 per driver per year.
“Carriers are clearly frustrated with the level of costs and complexity emanating from the feds, while at the same time half of them tell us they are not getting adequate returns, and face escalating driver costs and an uncertain economy,” Mikes stated.
TCP noted that it uses this quarterly survey along with partner conversations with carriers to provide a meaningful insight into future industry expectations. Carriers desiring to participate in future surveys may apply here.
