Four Months of Lead Time and Yet 25% of Trucks Still Violate Safety Regulations
The Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Alliance (CMVSA) has set June 2-4 as the time to hold its Roadcheck 2009 event. This event asks for all states to inspect trucks. Less than 1% of trucks are inspected. By announcing the inspections 4 months in advance, the CMVSA gives drivers and trucking companies four months to prepare, or if the problems are serious enough, to simply stay off the road.
Despite huge publicity in the trucking industry, the 3 day inspection in 2008 found 23.9% of inspected drivers failed a Level 1 inspection. While ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said last year that the Federation was pleased “to see that the safety of the truck fleet continues to improve.” The president failed to point out that almost 1 in 4 trucks was in violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations! The fact that drivers are on the road in an unsafe condition, knowing that this special inspection will be run, shows how drivers believe the chances of being inspected is so rare that they believe they won't be caught, or that they are so ill trained that they think they are safe.
The trucking industry, far from crowing about a 23.9% failure rate on an announced inspection, should be ashamed of itself.
In the trucking industry, time is money. Truckers and the companies will cut whatever corner they can to save money. Capitalism at work.
Per FMCSR 396.3 Systematic inspection repair and maintenance generaly means a regular or scheduled program to keep vehicles in a safe operating condition. Maintenance intervals are to be determined by the motor carrier. However, there is no "economic exception rule". When a company goes away from it's regular PM schedule just to reduce it's operating costs, in my opinion, it is in viiolation of FMCSR 396.3(a).
Notice in FMCSR 396.1 Scope,General - who is responsbile for Inspection, Repair and Maintenance. Lack of training and accountability of FMCSR 396.11 and FMCSR 396.13 are two major reasons that CMV safety is compromised.
"The Customer Always Comes First" rule should never be co-mingled with CMV safety so as to dilute the meaning and intent of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations or local and State traffic laws.
Thank You, lc