Owner Operators - The Grapevine
CSA 2010 Driver Enforcement Process
The FMSCA has finally come up with the best idea to create a more professional driver. Mark my words: a professional driver with a good Driver Measurement Summary is going to be able to ask and get more money in the near future.
The new Driver Safety Measurement System will enable Safety Investigators to evaluate roadside performance of drivers across employers over a 3-year period. Drivers with an overall poor safety history may find themselves with an enforcement action taken against them.
This is when the old adage of "supply and demand" goes into effect. If there is a high demand for something (drivers) and YOU fill that demand, YOU WILL MAKE MONEY.
More on FMCSA's Commercial Drivers Pre-Employment Screening Program next month....
Vehicle Inspection Training and Testing
Just like the gunfighters of the old west who "pre-checked" their guns before a gunfight, a professional driver in today's world must "pre-check" his equipment before doing battle with the public on the streets and highways.
The driver's battle plan is to see if he or she can start and finish his or her day without breaking down, without getting into an accident and, most importantly, while getting all of his or her work done in a safe and timely manner. This is easy to do and can be a life and death matter.
Many carriers "claim" that they train their drivers on vehicle inspections, but how many actually do? One common training method used to "train" drivers is to test the driver using a "CDL-style" pre-trip test. This involves having drivers point to items as they walk around the vehicle and "talk" through what they would check. While this can be an effective means of verifying the driver's knowledge, it is neither training nor an effective test of the driver's ability to actually inspect a vehicle.
With the advent of CSA2010 and the driver's receiving their own safety rating, tickets received by the driver while on the road will indicate improper training, thus giving the reasonable and prudent person probable cause to visit the carrier's place of business. As the saying goes, "what goes around comes around."
Training
Training involves imparting knowledge and/or skill onto the student and verifying that the new knowledge and/or skill have led to a change in behavior. When teaching a skill, the accurate performance of the skill is the desired behavior. The problem with having drivers "talk" their way through a vehicle inspection is that all you are doing is verifying knowledge the drivers have on vehicle inspections; you are not testing their skills.
The ultimate cognitive knowledge can be provided via a course provided by the Transportation Safety Institute of the U S Department of Transportation. Such a course is available at www.ntassoc.com at the Online Institute for Motor Carriers. All of the courses are interactive, so not only does the person have to pay attention, but there is also a test at the end of the course.
A driver needs to know how to conduct a pre-trip inspection, an en-route inspection, and a post-trip/DVIR. All three inspections will need to be covered in both the knowledge and skills portion of the program.
If the training is not done correctly, simple matters such as how to turn various lights on during an inspection, how to check slack adjusters, and how to check company specific equipment may remain a mystery to the new drivers
Testing
To verify that the training has worked, the driver will need to be tested. The vehicle inspection test should require the driver to put on their gloves and grab a tire gauge.
Do not be surprised if some drivers can give great "lip service" to a vehicle inspection but suddenly become unsure of what to do or simply cannot perform the task when actually asked to perform it.
Attitude
One reason to train and test on both knowledge and skill is that you are also trying to train an attitude. The attitude you are trying to impart is that inspections are important, must be done correctly, and must become part of the driver's routine. What message are you sending if your training and testing allows drivers to "talk through" vehicle inspections without ever actually doing one?
Spotting existing drivers that need help
Some carriers have developed methods to track how their drivers are doing when it comes to inspections. Here are some of the more common and unusual ones.
v Compare the driver's "year DVID" or "shop work request" to what the technician working on the vehicle discovers. If the vehicle had major problems that the driver failed to report, the driver is a candidate for retraining.
v Watch on-the-road repairs. If a driver is continually turning up as needing vehicle repairs for serious problems, consider the driver for retraining.
v Set up surveillance at driver gathering spots i.e. company fuel pumps and observe driver inspections. If a driver is completing his or her workday then the driver should be inspecting the vehicle and completing a DVIR. If the driver is starting the workday, a pre-trip should be conducted. If the driver just did a "stop" for fuel then the driver should do an en-route inspection before rolling again. Obviously, if the driver did not do the inspection, consider the driver a candidate for retraining.
v Place notes on the vehicle in locations where a driver conducting a thorough inspection would find them. The notes can read "call for your prize." Once the notes are in place, track how long it takes the drivers to call.
When conducting retraining, remember to follow the principle that vehicle inspections require both knowledge and skill, and train and test accordingly.
Proficiency Exams for New Entrants
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering whether to implement a proficiency examination as part of its revised New Entrant Safety Assurance Program. It is seeking information concerning issues that should be considered in the development and use of such an examination. In addition, the Agency requests comments on the other alternatives to a proficiency examination to complement the assurances already in place that new entrant carriers are knowledgeable about applicable safety requirements.
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