New research reveals motor carrier CSA perspectives

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Updated Nov 18, 2011

The American Transportation Research Institute on Thursday, Nov.17, released its report detailing the extent to which Compliance Safety Accountability has impacted the daily operations of trucking companies. ATRI’s report also describes and analyzes motor carrier attitudes toward and comprehension of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new regulatory program, based on survey data collected from 695 motor carriers.

While first-year CSA impacts have not been dramatic, carriers who self-reported having one or more BASICs above threshold were markedly more likely to experience negative changes to their shipper and broker utilization. Overall, however, most carriers believed CSA represents an improvement over SafeStat, and that it will remove unsafe carriers and drivers from the industry and improve safety. Carriers also displayed a high level of knowledge on ATRI’s 14-item CSA knowledge test, although knowledge varied with certain carrier traits and attitudes.

This is the second release by ATRI examining CSA impacts; earlier this year ATRI released the results of its commercial driver CSA survey. A copy of the motor carrier and driver survey results are available from ATRI at www.atri-online.org. Later this year ATRI will release its full CSA study, juxtaposing carrier and driver CSA impacts, along with additional CSA statistical analyses.

“Our plan is to conduct both of these CSA surveys annually, and believe that both surveys will become key annual indicators of CSA impacts and progress over time” says Rebecca Brewster, ATRI president and chief operating officer.