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Author Archives: Sloan Morris
New Violations Added to CSA for January Snapshot
CSA is changing again! The FMCSA has announced that they will be adding new violations to the CSA methodology when they release the January snapshot (expected in early February). The main changes are:
- 4 new texting violations have been added to the Unsafe Driving BASIC
- 22 new Vehicle Maintenance violations have been added
At Vigillo, we take pride in vigilantly monitoring CSA changes so our customers are among the first to see the impact of these changes. We will be updating our scorecards and methodology as soon as possible with the new update. More details below: Read more
How To Export Driver Data into Excel
I recently led a webinar about Vigillo’s new powerful export tools (recording here). There was a LOT of enthusiasm about taking these robust new export tools and using the power of Microsoft Excel to create new interactive data tools. I want to walk you through the first step of this process in this post: How to get the driver-related data you want exported into Excel. In later posts, I will show you different ways to use the power of Excel to see this data in new and important ways.
Here’s how to get the Vigillo driver-related data you want and get it into Excel: Read more
Driver Essentials & Export Webinar Recording!
Thanks to the hundreds who registered and attended the Driver Essentials & Export Webinars this week. The recording is below. Enjoy!
New Tools! Enhanced Driver Scorecards…with Webinar
Vigillo is pleased to announce significant improvements to our CSA Scorecards: Enhanced CSA Driver Scorecards and Export Tools! These new items are live and available right now!
GET TRAINED – WEBINAR!
Vigillo is providing a training webinar for these new powerful items. We will walk through the new tools and demonstrate how you can more effectively use your safety data. Sign up for the date and time of your choice:
| Enhanced Driver Scorecards & Export Tools Webinar | |||||
| Date | Pacific | Mountain | Central | Eastern | Registration Link |
| Wed, Jan 25 | Noon | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | Complete |
| Thurs, Jan 26 | 8:30am | 9:30am | 10:30am | 11:30am | Complete |
The New ISS – What You Need To Know (Part 3)
In Part 2, I discussed the seven standard safety groupings for motor carriers – that is, for motor carriers with sufficient data. In this post, I’ll cover how motor carriers with Insufficient Data are treated under the Inspection Selection System.
Here’s How It Works: The FMCSA identifies motor carriers that do not meet the information requirements of the Sufficient Data Algorithm (discussed in Part 2 of this article). These are, generally speaking, motor carriers with low numbers of inspections. No big surprise there. One key goal of the FMCSA is to have as many motor carriers as possible meet the sufficient data algorithm so you will notice in the graphic above that motor carriers with insufficient data will receive an ISS score in the red range (75-100) or the yellow range (50-74). In other words, if a truck is connected to a motor carrier with insufficient data, the recommendation will either be Inspect or Optionally Inspect. No passes for you! Read more
Amazing Story: Hero Driver Mike Schiotis
You will not believe this. I’d like to buy a beer or three for hero truck driver Mike Schiotis.
Mike’s amazing story is reported by LandLineMag.com. A true story that happened less than two weeks ago, it has everything: life and death drama, a damsel in distress, a villain, and a smaller than expected cargo shipment.
Here’s a quote: “One of the police asked me how I felt about saving that woman’s life. All I could say was that I was glad she was OK and that I was tired,” Schiotis said. “The cop told me that a couple of hours later it would hit me what I did – and, boy, was he right.”
Everyone here at Vigillo wants to congratulate true-life-action-hero Mike Schiotis on his quick thinking – and all the other truck drivers out there who go out of their way every day to do the right thing.
Read the whole story HERE.
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
Who’s Your Coach?
I like to read trucking industry magazines. Trucking websites, too. Trucking webinars, conferences, and industry studies also have a lot to teach us. Not surprisingly, there is a lot to learn about the industry from industry sources. However, I sometimes find excellent ideas from outside the trucking industry as well. For example, I just read a recent article that asks an interesting question:
If a top-seeded tennis player like Rafael Nedal has a coach, why don’t doctors? Why don’t most professionals?
The author, Atul Gawande, a Harvard trained surgeon realized that once he’d finished medical school, he was pretty much on his own in terms of improving his skillset. Yet, in the professional sports world, coaches are not only common, they are an expected an integral part of getting to – and staying at – the top of an athlete’s game.
Do your drivers have a coach? Someone who looks at the preparation, planning, mindset, and detailed skills it takes to drive a big rig day or night?
Different question: If you are a safety professional, do you have a coach? Who is guiding you, making sure you improve your skills and keep raising the bar? Read more
Vigillo IMS Webinar Video Available
Thanks to those of you who attended our recent webinar: “Vigillo IMS (Inspection Management System): Lose paper and Gain Time!”
The video of the webinar is below or watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/6YNx0jehluY
Read more about Vigillo’s IMS here: http://blog.vigillo.com/?p=2535
Learn more or Try out Vigillo’s IMS here: http://www.vigillo.com/ims.html