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Monthly Archives: October 2011
The New ISS – What You Need To Know (Part 1)
I’ve gotten more and more questions from customers surprised about the recent change to the FMCSA’s ISS (Inspection Selection System). In this series, I’ll explain what changed in the new ISS, tell you where to find your carrier’s ISS score, what it means, and what to do about it.
What is the ISS?
ISS stands for the Inspection Selection System. This is the system by which every motor carrier is given a 1-100 score that recommends how inspectors should prioritize commercial vehicles for inspection. According to the FMCSA, the ISS is the primary tool used on the roadside to screen motor carrier vehicles and determine the usefulness of conducting an inspection.
Why does your ISS Score Matter?
Long story short – the higher your carrier’s ISS score is, the more likely your trucks will be inspected. And…as many long-time trucking safety pros can attest – more inspections lead to more violations which lead to higher CSA BASIC scores which lead to a higher ISS score. A high ISS score can create its own vicious cycle for unprepared carriers. Read more
Unified Registration System: Comments open
The goal of the Unified Registration System is to streamline the registration process and make it harder for “chameleon” carriers and brokers to come back to life. The system would be online, using DOT’s to identify carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, etc. Additional goals include assurances to the public that carriers have appropriate insurance on file, increase accessibility, and enable the FMCSA to more easily track insurance cancelations. The new entrant registration and those registration updates would shift to an online process with the option of doing a paper registration. All would be required to update their information every two years.
The regulations and fees have been posted and comments have been opened. Comments must be made before December 27th.
Make comments here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FMCSA-1997-2349-0178
Check it out here: http://www.safersys.org/UCRQueryForm.aspx
Small Carrier Solution Bundle
Vigillo to Bundle CSA Solutions for Small Carriers
360 Degree CSA Solution for $99 per Month
Portland, Oregon– October 13, 2011— Vigillo LLC, creators of Daylight™, the CSA Platform for Transportation, today announced it has created a bundle of all of its CSA products at a steep discount for carriers under 100 drivers. The bundling includes solutions for the carrier, its drivers and brokerage.
“We look at this bundling as a way for smaller fleets, those with the least available resources to dedicate to the tasks of managing CSA, to have the best-in-class tools that enable them to easily handle all aspects of CSA from pre-hire screenings, to managing violations to brokering due diligence” said Steven G. Bryan, CEO of Vigillo.
The $99 CSA Solution will include:
CSA Scorecard Subscription – Vigillo’s flagship CSA product that includes over 100 interactive reports to gain invaluable insight into a fleet’s CSA performance in an easy-to-read scorecard format.
Inspection Management System – a state-of-the-art technology that works alongside the Scorecards and compares, corrects, and tracks inspection data. Missing and erroneous data on inspections, violations, drivers and vehicles is highlighted and available for immediate correction in all Vigillo Scorecard Reports and for optional submission to FMCSA’s DataQ’s system.
PSP Converter – A downloadable application that converts FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program reports into meaningful and valuable analysis of driver candidates. A Scorecard is generated for each driver candidate that includes CSA points by BASIC and Average CSA Points by Inspection, as well as a safety event timeline that graphically displays an applicant’s roadside performance history.
Carrier Select™ - A powerful analysis and monitoring tool providing shippers, brokers and insurers with real-time visibility on a carrier’s insurance status, operating authority and safety performance.
Roadside Resume™ – The only service in the trucking industry that makes CSA scores available directly to individual drivers. Roadside Resume can only be offered to drivers of Vigillo Customers and Affiliates.
Join the Wiser Fleet Movement Today, contact Vigillo Sales at sales@vigillo.com
Evaluation of the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test – A Series
Flummox:
verb (used with object) Informal.
to bewilder; confound; confuse.
In August of 2011 the FMCSA published their Evaluation of the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test. Actually, although the cover page of the Evaluation uses the FMCSA logo, the report was actually published by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). In fact, page 2 of the Evaluation states the following:
“The contents of this Report reflect the views of the contractor, who is responsible for the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation.”
After that reading that rousing endorsement of this 168 page page-turner I couldn’t help but dive in and see what the folks at UMTRI had to say. This is part one of a multi-part commentary on the Evaluation.
Roadside Resume available to 300,000 Drivers
This summer, Vigillo partnered with Dan Baker, driver advocate extraordinaire, to bring awareness of Roadside Resume to commercial truck drivers. I am very pleased to give an update on progress and announce that almost 850 motor carriers have joined Vigillo and Dan in agreeing to make their roadside inspection data available to Roadside Resume so their combined 300,000 drivers can have direct access to their CSA Scores.
CSA is designed to improve highway safety, yet has no provisions for making driver data available to drivers. Its as if the teachers know the grades, but we don’t tell the students; a very odd way to improve outcomes.
Carriers only need to agree to share their FMCSA data with Roadside Resume, there is no cost to carrier or driver, and it remains totally confidential. Drivers can only access the information attached to them individually. So a big nod to the 850 carriers who have opted in since the program launched in February. You are the leaders in the industry who understand the importance of educating drivers on CSA and in giving them access to the information collected by the FMCSA on them.
Join the Wiser Fleet Movement and do what is right for the drivers, contact Vigillo and ask how you can provide this critical benefit to your drivers.
Over the top sports weekend in Cheddarland!
It’s Saturday night in Wisconsin and we cheddar heads are
having the time of our sports lives. Reminisce with me for a moment… Wisconsin Badgers played in the Rose Bowl. Sure they didn’t end up victorious but still a chance at the roses is quite the achievement. Then we had the Badger Women’s Hockey Team take the NCAA Frozen 4. Of course we had we the joy of bringing the Lombardi trophy back home to the smallest market in the League with the community owned Green Bay Packers overtaking the Pittsburgh Steelers (sorry Sloan and the rest of the Steeler die hards) in Super Bowl XLV. Fast forward a few months and our current experience is unfolding.