ATRI Seeks Truckers' Input on CSA
Posted on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 @ 01:13 PM
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a survey to find out how truck drivers feel about the government’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program.
About the Survey
The survey is anonymous and results will be released toward the end of 2012. Last year, the survey gathered answers from nearly 5,000 truck drivers, which was incredibly helpful in identifying general attitudes and awareness. It is mutually beneficial for drivers and the government as program details can always be improved.
The survey addresses all of the following issues:
• Your concerns about CSA’s effect on employment.
• The changes you have seen since CSA was implemented.
• Whether you have viewed the driver data available as a result of CSA.
• How your employer has reacted to the program.
• How much you know about CSA.
About CSA
The CSA was created by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) to increase safety by reducing accidents on the road that lead to injuries or death among both drivers and passengers. The new rules apply to all carriers that drive from one state to another while carrying more than 10,000 pounds.
How to Take It
Some truck drivers are wary of programs like CSA because they assume their employment is threatened. Similarly, carriers may think their employees will be unfairly penalized or even terminated, but this is not the point of CSA. In fact, the program does not have the power to take away jobs. Instead, its main focus is to keep track of drivers and carriers with unsafe practices so that they can be educated on how to do things correctly. In this way, drivers, carriers, and everyone on the road should benefit from CSA.
Due to the many misconceptions of CSA, ATRI intends to use the survey to find out how the program is perceived among carriers and drivers with the assumption that additional education will be necessary to help everyone understand how it works. This is why you are encouraged to take the survey, especially if you have concerns about CSA that you would like to see addressed.
