Ferro asks shippers and receivers to shape up, help with safety
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro talks to reporters and others at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck kickoff June 8. (Courtesy: CVSA)
By BARB KAMPBELL
The Trucker Staff
6/30/2010
ARLINGTON, Va. — Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administrator Anne Ferro, speaking here June 10 during the Washington Freight Transportation Policy Forum presented by the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL), suggested that shippers and receivers put themselves in the shoes of truckers who have limited hours to work yet get paid by the mile.
The NITL works with the nation’s commercial freight transportation system including rail, motor carriage, ocean transport and air commerce.
Ferro was one of many speakers at the forum where she explained to those in attendance that CSA 2010 is going to cause companies to maintain high safety standards to remain in the industry.
“Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 or CSA 2010 is our agency's new safety fitness determination and compliance program that is designed to accelerate corrections to safety problems before crashes occur,” Ferro said. “The concept behind CSA 2010 is to give investigators the tools they need to be as effective and efficient as possible. CSA 2010 is a move away from the current one size fits all compliance review approach to a more frequent examination of key factors linked to commercial motor vehicle crashes. These key factors are: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness crash history, vehicle maintenance, improper loading and cargo, and drugs and alcohol.”
Ferro explained that as the motor carrier's primary customer, shippers and receivers also play a unique part in safety.
“All of you know that truckers are limited to how long they can be on-duty and behind the wheel,” Ferro told those in attendance. “When they arrive at a terminal, they are ‘on-duty.’ When the truck is not moving, the drivers are burning hours they cannot recapture. Consequently, when they do get a load and leave the terminal, they are under increased financial and mental stress to ‘not run out of hours.’ They have families to support, this is their livelihood.”
Ferro told the forum that many truckers have voiced complaints about wait times at shippers and receivers and that the unpaid down-time has a negative impact on safety.
“Think about that,” Ferro implored. “Put yourself in the shoes of the truck driver who can’t get in and get offloaded, can't get out with a load because of inefficiencies at terminals. Who is in the unique position to address this?
“I ask you to increase your stake in motor carrier safety. Practices that leave truckers waiting at the port or terminal for hours at a time do not take account of how long drivers may drive.
“I ask each of you today to take responsibility in your businesses to increase your stake in motor carrier safety. Between now and the end of the year, take the time to reexamine practices that short change the driver’s ability to drive safely.”
Ferro said everyone has a role in the movement of freight and said that as partners in the transportation system all should be committed to doing what’s right.
“We cannot do the work of safety alone,” she said. “We need the support of our partners in order to make truck transportation even safer. We need all parties — carriers, drivers, shippers and receivers to be accountable and to be problem solvers.”
Ferro is indeed aware of what truckers have called for — less wait times at shippers and receivers as well as more flexibility with the off-duty time — although how that plays out in the upcoming Hours of Service rule is yet to be seen.
When contacted for comment, an FMCSA spokesman said they are unable to comment on specifics while rules are in the process of being written.
Barb Kampbell of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at barbkampbell@thetrucker.com.
Find more news and analysis from The Trucker, and share your thoughts, on Facebook.