INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ATA makes recommendations to Senate
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) faced a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation recently and made points on CSA 2010, hours-of-service and the need for a national speed limit of 65 mph.

ATA Senior VP Dave Osiecki also called on the US government to provide greater oversight of new entrants into the trucking industry.

As far as CSA 2010 is concerned, the ATA made three recommendations: that crash ‘causation’ be considered in truck-involved crashes before they become part of a carrier’s profile, so they are only held accountable for crashes they cause; that the system use vehicle miles travelled rather than number of trucks to measure the carrier’s exposure; and that the program focus on actual citations, not warnings from law enforcement.

Osiecki also said the current hours-of-service are working fine and should be retained. He added, though, that the sleeper berth rule should be modified to provide some flexibility and encourage greater use of circadian-friendly naps.

The ATA lauded a plan to force electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) on carriers that do not comply with hours-of-service rules.

Osiecki also told the subcommittee that the FMCSA should require new carriers to complete a safety training class, including an exam, before they’re allowed to enter the industry. They also encouraged the FMCSA to conduct an initial safety audit on new carriers within their first six months of operation.