2008 Member News
2008
MOTOR CARRIER COMPLIANCE OFFICERS TO CONDUCT MOTORCOACH INSPECTIONS AT SUNBELT AG EXPO
Officers from the Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) of the Georgia Department of Public Safety will be conducting safety inspections of motorcoaches again this year at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the inspection program to identify and remove unsafe motorcoaches and motorcoach drivers from the roadways. The Sunbelt Expo will be held Tuesday thru Thursday next week.
Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said this year’s inspection detail comes during a critical time for safety on our nation’s roadways. “Over the past several months, motorcoaches have been involved in fatal crashes in other parts of the country,” he noted. “We are proud of our partnership with the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition that allows our Motor Carrier Officers to perform the safety inspections that translate to safer transportation in Georgia.”
Last year at the Sunbelt Expo, MCCD Officers conducted 82 safety inspections during the three-day event. Their inspections resulted in 142 vehicle violations being detected with eight being serious enough to place the vehicle out-of-service. Additionally, three drivers were taken off the road with out-of-service orders after driver violations were found. Chief Mark McLeod, Commander of the Motor Carrier Compliance Division, said the driver-to-vehicle out-of-service rate last year represented a 2.9 percent decrease from 2006. “The safety inspections have proven successful in removing a significant number of unsafe motorcoach drivers and vehicles from the roadways,” he said. “It must also be noted that the motorcoaches and motorcoach drivers placed out of service during the event were transporting school-age children.”
Teamwork, dedication, and commitment of all the officers involved combine to make the event a success. It is estimated that MCCD Officers will inspect between 75 and 100 motorcoaches during the event. Each motorcoach driver will receive motor carrier safety educational information as well.
New this year, officers will be using a Performance-Based Brake Tester (PBBT) to measure the performance of the braking system on each vehicle. The PBBT assesses the brake forces at each wheel end, axle, or the entire vehicle. The device can also tell inspectors the vehicle braking capability through a stopping performance test. The PBBT will be in use on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Since 2001, MCCD Officers have inspected 594 motorcoaches, locating 1,070 vehicle violations and 323 driver violations. out-of-service orders have been issued for 49 vehicles and 35 drivers over the period.
2008
Motor Carrier Officers Conducting Commercial Vehicle Brake Inspections this Week
Officers with Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division are conducting concentrated brake inspections on commercial vehicles this week as part of a nationwide effort to locate vehicles with faulty brakes. The annual Brake Safety Week continues through Saturday.
Chief Mark McLeod, Commander of the Motor Carrier Compliance Unit, said Brake Safety Week is part of a comprehensive program by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance promoting commercial vehicle brake safety across North America. “The objective of the week is to help commercial drivers and mechanics understand the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance, and operation.”
The effort in Georgia is a combination of enforcement and education. “Nationally, brakes comprise the largest percentage of Out-of-Service Violations cited during commercial vehicle inspections,” Chief McLeod said. “Braking systems on commercial vehicles are complicated and contain many parts, all of which need constant inspection and attention to ensure proper operation and performance.”
Brake inspections are being conducted at Motor Carrier Compliance Inspection Stations throughout Georgia as well as roadside inspections during the course of traffic stops by MCCD officers.
As part of Brake Safety Week a performance-based brake tester (PBBT) is being used at the Northbound Weigh Station on Interstate 85 in Lavonia. The PBBT, provided by the Battelle Institute, measures the braking performance of commercial motor vehicles. It can assess vehicle braking capability through quantitative measure of individual wheel brake forces or overall vehicle brake performance in a controlled test.
Colonel Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said the inspections and educational efforts are focused to enhance the regulatory compliance and performance of commercial vehicle braking systems. “Brakes are vital to the safe operation of a commercial vehicle and faulty brakes can lead to tragic results on our state’s roads,” he said.
This year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has produced a podcast for commercial vehicle drivers where experts answer brake safety questions. The podcast is available at www.cvsa.org, then scroll down to “Publications and Podcasts”.
2008
Indiana State Police Use CVSA Sticker to Solve Theft Case
Detectives from the Indiana State Police were working a case involving a suspected stolen semi trailer when a CVSA inspection sticker proved invaluable.
Detective F/Sgt. Darrell Thornburg and M/Tpr. Detective Rob Ricks were trying to locate identification numbers on a semi trailer they suspected was stolen. All VIN numbers had been removed from the trailer and the visible tag had been replaced with an invalid number. The detectives thought they had come to a dead end when Detective Thornburg noticed a CVSA inspection sticker on the trailer. Thornburg, who is MCSAP certified, took the number and phoned the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and spoke with Motor Carrier District Coordinator Mike Wilson. Wilson was able to locate the agency, in California, and the officer who conducted the inspection and applied the sticker.
With this information, the detectives ascertained the VIN number which was on the inspection report. Once they had the VIN number they were able to contact the Pennsylvania State Police who had taken the initial theft report of the trailer. The owner was contacted and he sent seven photos of the trailer to the detectives. These photos enabled Detectives Thornburg and Ricks to make positive identification of the trailer.
According to Detective Thornburg without the CVSA sticker and the fact the officer who conducted the inspection listed the VIN number on the report, this stolen trailer may never have been identified. Thornburg stressed the importance of ensuring inspectors complete the inspection report with all available information.
2008
Updated Version of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) Released
The updated version of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) was released on July 27 in conjunction with the start of the 34th International Forum on Traffic Records and Highway Safety Systems, and is now available on the MMUCC website.
MMUCC is a voluntary Guideline that helps states collect consistent crash data for a wide range of safety planning applications. The Guideline includes a complete set of crash, vehicle, person and roadway data elements that can be tailored to each state's unique crash data collection and traffic safety needs. Since it was first published in 1998, more and more states have planned their crash reporting systems using MMUCC as a guide, and they have seen immediate benefits.
Development of the MMUCC 3rd edition was led by an expert panel of leading highway safety experts representing law enforcement, state DOTs and DMVs, governors highway safety representatives, representatives from the research community and federal agencies. Over the past year, the expert panel has held a series of workshops focused on the update, and others in the highway safety community have had the opportunity to provide input at industry gatherings and on the MMUCC website. This collaborative approach has played a key role in the widespread acceptance of MMUCC.
As part of the release of the updated Guideline, the MMUCC website has been completely redesigned, and includes a wealth of new material. The site remains the definitive one-stop source for information about the Guideline, and the discussion forum offers MMUCC users and others in the highway safety community a place to exchange ideas and discuss MMUCC implementation. MMUCC training also has been updated to reflect the 3rd edition, and those who use the Guideline can access it any time on www.mmucc.us to brush up on all of the data elements.
For more information contact nhtsa.mmucc@dot.gov.
2008
Brake Safety Week is September 21-27, 2008
The planning committee will have the guidance package out to you next week. Nothing has materially changed from last year's event except that the dates have been adjusted from August to September. If any member jurisdictions are interested in working with a Performance-Based Brake Tester sometime during the week please contact Steve Keppler at CVSA HQ as soon as possible. A PBBT and a technician can be provided at no obligation to the jurisdiction. Through grant funding provided by FMCSA, CVSA will be making available some educational materials to the member jurisdictions for distribution during the week. We will notify you once they are ready for distribution.
Operation Safe Driver Week is October 19-25, 2008
The planning committee is working on the guidance package and will send it out to the member jurisdictions by the end of August (at the latest). Through grant funding provided by FMCSA, CVSA will be making available some educational materials to the member jurisdictions for distribution during the week. We will notify you once they are ready for distribution.
2008
UCR Information
Due to the hard enforcement of the rules related to UCR that began July 1st, and to the fact that members are distributing the CVSA Inspection Bulletin that was previously distributed regarding the program, CVSA has been receiving a high number of calls requesting general and contact information. If you, as a jurisdiction, are distributing the Inspection Bulletin without the contact list, we request that you also supply the motor carrier with the attached UCR State Contact List. Additionally, please provide the following link to the UCR website: www.ucr.in.gov. Providing this information will give carriers the information they need to address their questions on the UCR.
There is also a UCR Frequently Asked Question document attached to this message that you can utilize or distribute should you encounter inquiries from motor carriers.
- UCR Questions and Answers
- UCR State Contact List
- Inspection Bulletin 2008-01 — Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (Created on May 27, 2008)
2008
CVSA Update and Information Regarding the CheckMark Vehicle Safety Services Periodic Inspection Program
As you may be aware, CVSA's wholly owned subsidiary, CheckMark Vehicle Safety Services, Inc. (CheckMark) has partnered with a new Inspection Service Provider (Safety Solution Systems, or SSS) for delivery of its Periodic Inspection Program (PIP). We expect in the future there will be additional service providers brought on as the program grows. CVSA is requesting your assistance in helping CheckMark staff up the PIP inspector work force and to provide a career path for retired and off-duty inspectors, as appropriate and permitted by agency policy. Qualified and certified inspectors will be compensated $40 for each vehicle inspection (i.e. power unit, trailer, dolly… etc)
The information outlined below provides a brief background on the PIP.
This effort was initiated based on a 2003 Request For Action (RFA# 03-001-TRN) from one of CVSA's Industry (Associate) Members. As a result of the RFA and at the direction of the CVSA Executive Committee, in the summer of 2005 CVSA began work on developing the Periodic Inspection Program Certification Program for private sector inspection providers that conduct Annual/Periodic Inspections in accordance with (in the United States) 49 CFR Part 396 and Appendix G. The PIP inspection also is consistent with Canada's Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) Standard, and has also incorporated the Technology and Maintenance Council Recommended Practices.
The PIP has been reviewed and endorsed by the CVSA Executive Committee. To stand up and deliver the PIP program, CheckMark Vehicle Safety Services, Inc. was created by CVSA. It is a privately owned for-profit company, with CVSA being the majority owner. CVSA's legal counsel has issued a written opinion that establishing CheckMark is acceptable and adequately protects CVSA's interests, charter, members and non-profit status.
As you know, a number of states in the U.S have mandatory programs, and Canada has the Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) Standard. CVSA's purpose for launching the PIP Program is to complement existing government programs. The PIP has been developed and implemented by and for the industry. This is being done principally by replicating the CVSA Certification Model — so successful on the public sector side — in the private sector. At the same time, we are incorporating best practices from Canada and industry (i.e. Technology and Maintenance Council) to make the inspection and certification standards, training, and testing stand up to the highest level of public and private sector scrutiny.
As CheckMark Vehicle Safety Services expands the PIP, CheckMark and its certified PIP Inspection Service Provider(s) are initiating efforts to recruit qualified individuals. CVSA and Checkmark strongly believe that the individual's experience will be a major factor in determining the success of the PIP. CVSA is requesting that its member jurisdictions consider conveying this message to retired inspectors, as well as those jurisdictions who permit off-duty inspectors to conduct inspections.
Interested inspectors can visit the CheckMark web site at www.thecheckmark.com and navigate to review the PIP Inspector position description, obtain an application and submit their contact information.
We are very hopeful that PIP will provide important benefits in a number of ways. A few are mentioned below:
- Save lives on our highways;
- Improve the safety and operating condition of CMV equipment;
- Enhance knowledge, competency, uniformity and repeatability of private sector inspections and service providers;
- Help motor carriers control costs and liabilities, and to be safer and more efficient in managing their equipment and maintenance programs;
- Address gaps that have been identified over the years in a number of NTSB Crash investigations and in the US DOT Large Truck Crash Causation Study and other research;
- Harmonize private sector CMV safety inspection programs across North America;
- Provide a career path for CVSA Members and Associate Members; and
- Create additional sources of revenue to enhance the products and services CVSA can provide to its Members and Associate Members.
If you have any questions on anything contained in this letter or on PIP or CheckMark Vehicle Safety Services, please contact Steve Campbell (stephenc@cvsa.org) or Steve Keppler (stevek@cvsa.org) by email or by phone at 202-775-1623.
Sincerely,
Stephen F. Campbell
CVSA Executive Director
