2010 Press Releases
2010
CVSA STRENGTHENS CMV UNIFORMITY, SAFETY THROUGH NAIC
Commercial Vehicle Inspectors Who Compete are Leaders in Highway Safety
WASHINGTON, DC (August 7, 2010) – Fifty-three roadside inspectors representing jurisdictions across North America convened this year in Columbus, Ohio -- August 2-8, 2010 to compete in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC). This year, Richard Robinson, a CVSA-certified North American Standard Level I inspector from Ontario, was awarded the Jimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award for his combined performances in seven competition elements including the North American Standard Level I Inspection and North American Standard HazMat/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection.
Pictured left to right: NAIC 2010 Grand Champion Richard Robinson – Ontario, and CVSA President Francis “Buzzy” France.
“We are proud to recognize and reward each of our 53 roadside inspectors from across North America who not only demonstrate their professional excellence and dedication to highway safety but inspire others to do the same,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Executive Director. “Their enthusiasm and passion goes a long way in advancing commercial vehicle safety and saving lives due to the information, techniques and experiences they will share with others in furtherance of improving uniformity and highway safety standards across the continent.”
“Everyday lives are saved on our nation's highways because of the exceptional skill and tireless commitment to safety of commercial motor vehicle inspectors. The hard work of these dedicated law enforcement professionals makes a real difference,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “FMCSA is proud to join CVSA in saluting this year’s NAIC winner, and all of the men and women who competed in Columbus. Thank you for being leaders in commercial vehicle and highway safety."
NAIC is managed by CVSA; funded in part by FMCSA and is successful due to strong industry participation and sponsorship. NAIC has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as an event that “Advances America.”
Award presenters included Anne S. Ferro, Stephen A. Keppler, and CVSA President Francis “Buzzy” France.
In addition to the Grand Champion award, the following were also presented:
- High Points United States: James Canard – Arkansas
- High Points Canada: Richard Robinson – Ontario
- High Points Mexico: Gamaliel Perez – Mexico
- North American Standard Level I Inspection: 1. Richard Robinson – Ontario; 2. Benjamin Schropfer – Nebraska; 3. Robert Keeney – Massachusetts.
- North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection: 1. John Jackson – Alberta; 2. Richard Robinson – Ontario; 3. Kasey Smolha – Utah.
- North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods and Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection: 1. Brad Gibson – Texas; 2. James Canard – Arkansas; 3. Richard Robinson – Ontario.
- John Youngblood Award of Excellence: Christopher Smithen – Nevada
- Team Award: Yellow Team: Team Leader – Shelia Lucas; John Jackson – Alberta; Wayne Bradshaw – Illinois; Robert Keeney – Massachusetts; Benjamin Schropfer – Nebraska; John Sova – North Dakota; Adam Pockette – Vermont; Juel Leuis – Wyoming.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
CVSA SELECTS STEPHEN A. KEPPLER TO SERVE AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
WASHINGTON, DC (August 3, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) today announced Stephen A. Keppler as its new executive director. Mr. Keppler has 18 years of experience in the transportation industry, almost all of which has been dedicated to truck and bus safety and security. He has been employed with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance since March of 2000 in the position of Director of Policy & Programs and most recently as its Interim Executive Director.
“After conducting a year-long search for an executive director, I am pleased to announce on behalf of CVSA’s executive committee that we have selected Stephen A. Keppler as our executive director,” said CVSA’s President, Buzzy France. “Steve has been serving earnestly as our interim executive director for nearly a year now, going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the organization stayed on track during a very busy year. This position serves a critical role in advancing the success of the Alliance by moving us forward in achieving our strategic goals and our mission to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers.” said France.
Prior to this position, he served as the Department Director for Vehicle Systems at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, a trade association dedicated to furthering the deployment of technology in transportation. Prior to ITS America he was employed with the U.S. DOT/FHWA Office of Motor Carriers (now FMCSA) for six years in the field and in Headquarters.
Mr. Keppler graduated from Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) in 1992 with two Bachelor of Science Degrees in Engineering – Civil and Architectural. He resides in Ellicott City, MD with his wife Dana and two sons, Alexander and Elliott.
“It is an extremely rewarding experience and great honor to lead an organization so committed to the critically important role of providing safe and secure roads to all travelers throughout North America,” said Keppler. “Our members and associate members are directly impacting on the everyday lives of so many, and it is a privilege to help further their cause. I look forward to continuing to build and strengthen on the partnerships CVSA has with our members, industry, government and other partners to achieve our ultimate goal -- zero highway deaths.”
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
NORTH AMERICAN INSPECTORS CHAMPIONSHIP: MORE THAN A CONTEST
CVSA Event Strengthens Commercial Vehicle Inspection Quality, Uniformity, Reciprocity
WASHINGTON, DC (July 28, 2010) – While CVSA-certified inspectors representing 56 jurisdictions across North America get ready to compete in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 18th annual North American Inspectors Championship (NAIC) in Columbus, OH, August 2-8, 2010, the organization sees the event as much more than a one-week competition. Because CVSA works closely to monitor, evaluate, and identify potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures as well as to help facilitate and implement best practices for enhancing safety on our highways, NAIC provides the perfect opportunity to get a snapshot of the current roadside inspection environment, as well as a forum to evaluate both successes and areas for improvement. In addition, the international event also develops future leaders, strengthens the industry and enforcement partnerships, and promotes camaraderie between inspectors, jurisdictions, and countries.
“Commercial vehicle inspectors have a huge responsibility in ensuring that the large trucks and buses that travel down roads alongside passenger vehicles are doing so safely by checking a vehicle’s brakes, tires, tiedowns, driver’s record of duty status as well as other critical items while conducting an inspection,” said Buzzy France, CVSA’s President. “I applaud all of our NAIC competitors for their dedication to safety and on behalf of the entire industry, extend my personal congratulations to them for being the finest inspectors in North America.”
“FMCSA congratulates all of the dedicated and skilled commercial motor vehicle inspectors competing this year in Columbus,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “It is only through their day in and day out attention to detail that we set the bar high to meet our safety goals and reduce deaths and injuries on our roadways.”
This year there are six candidates from Canada, three from Mexico and 47 from the U.S. The theme of NAIC 2010 is ‘Education, Performance, Uniformity, and Partnerships.’
NAIC’s purpose is to recognize the inspector for demonstrating inspector excellence. NAIC contestants are evaluated in the following seven categories: 1. North American Standard Level I Inspection; 2. North American Standard Level I Inspection Procedures; 3. North American Standard HazMat/Transportation of Dangerous Goods Inspection; 4. North American Standard Cargo Tank/Other Bulk Packagings Inspection; 5. North American Standard Level V Passenger Vehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection; 6. Personal Interview; and, 7. North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria Exam.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
CVSA TELLS TEENS: CUTTING IT CLOSE WITH A TRUCK CAN CUT YOUR LIFE SHORT! "Teens & Trucks" Campaign Takes New Tack By Talking to Novice
WASHINGTON, DC (July 19, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) today announced a new targeted strategy to reduce deaths related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes by talking with an unlikely, yet critical, group – teenagers. Getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage that many teens anxiously await. For the first time in their lives, they are overcome with a sense of freedom. Compound this feeling by the thrill of driving with friends, speeding, aggressive and distracted driving behaviors, and this rite of passage puts teens at increased risk on the highway. In fact, teens comprise six percent of licensed drivers yet they are involved in 12 percent of traffic fatalities in the U.S.
“While truck and bus drivers do contribute to some traffic crashes, research shows that too many drivers of passenger cars, especially young people ages 16 to 24 years old, unnecessarily endanger themselves and others by failing to recognize that large CMVs and cars differ in their handling characteristics,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Interim Executive Director. “As a result of these unsafe actions, behaviors of the passenger vehicle driver are the critical reason behind most traffic crashes involving large CMVs and passenger vehicles.” CVSA says there were 5,390 such teen fatalities from 2003 through 2007.
To reduce such deaths, CVSA developed “Teens & Trucks,” a training program in collaboration with Arizona Trucking Association, Arizona Department of Public Safety, American Trucking Associations and related industry organizations. The goal of the program is to help educate teens about safe driving practices around commercial vehicles. Funding support for the program’s development has been provided in part by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
"A teen driver's inexperience, inattention, and false sense of invincibility behind the wheel are all too often a deadly combination, especially around big trucks and buses," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "This program is a great new resource for parents, schools and enforcement groups for raising teens' awareness of the dangers of driving unsafely around trucks."
The Teens & Trucks Program, part of CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver initiative, is dedicated to improving commercial and non-commercial driver behavior and performance through effective enforcement, education and awareness strategies.
“Any training that can prepare young drivers for the risks involved when driving around these vehicles can be beneficial especially if it's delivered in a format they can relate to and apply,” said Lt. Col. Jack Hegarty, Arizona Department of Public Safety. “The Teens & Trucks education program conveys the most important points of safe driving which, we hope, will significantly reduce these types of crashes.”
“It is especially important for teen drivers to understand the unique operating characteristics of large trucks so - from the very outset - they can learn and use the skills necessary to share the road safely,” said Rob Abbott, Vice President of Safety Policy with the American Trucking Associations. “Bad habits can be hard to break, so providing this training to drivers in their formative years is particularly valuable.”
For more information about "Teens & Trucks" and how parents, educators and others can get involved please visitwww.teensandtrucks.com. The Teens & Trucks Program, including instructor manuals, student workbooks, DVD and one-page handout is all provided free of charge through a federally-funded grant by FMCSA; and, is available to order online. For more information on Operation Safe Driver visit www.operationsafedriver.com.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, DRIVERS MAINTAINING CLOSE TO RECORD LOW OUT-OF-SERVICE RATES
Roadcheck Message Resonates That Maintaining Safe Vehicles and Drivers Is Worth the Effort
WASHINGTON, DC (July 13, 2010) – Results from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Roadcheck 2010 reveal that the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry is hovering close to the record low out-of-service (OOS) rates set during 2009. Additionally, while overall inspection totals are down from the previous year’s records, more inspectors participated at more locations in this year’s event. This seems to indicate during 2010 that there was a shift to an increasing focus on mobile roadside inspections. In 2010 roadside inspectors focused on the North American Standard (NAS) Level I inspection, safety belt enforcement, and motorcoach inspections. More than 9,856 CVSA -certified inspectors at 2,482 locations across North America performed 65,327 truck and bus inspections. Of that total, there were 48,970 NAS Level I inspections, the most comprehensive roadside inspection. The total inspection output is a 10.2 percent decrease over the previous record total, and the NAS Level I output is a 14.1 percent decrease over the previous record, both of which occurred in 2009.
“The number of CMV inspections is an indicator that, even in these continued tough economic times, state, provincial, local and federal agencies are committed to enforcing truck and bus safety standards,” said CVSA’s Interim Executive Director Stephen A. Keppler. “Roadside enforcement remains committed to this critically important role in saving lives on North America’s highways and helping to provide all travelers a safe and secure place to travel.”
This year during Roadcheck approximately 15 trucks or buses were inspected, on average, every minute. During the 72-hour inspection blitz, which took place from Canada to Mexico from June 8-10, 2010, drivers were pulled over, asked to show their commercial driver’s license, medical examiner’s certificate, and record of duty status. Brakes, tires, lights, and every major component of the truck or bus were also examined during Roadcheck. While Roadcheck has taken place every year since 1988, it is important to note that roadside inspections occur every day across North America, to the tune of more than 3.8 million in 2009. CVSA sponsors Roadcheck each year with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).
“Roadcheck has once again successfully reinforced the critical importance of safety, compliance, and crash prevention – lives depend on both safe and well maintained trucks and safe and well trained drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.
Data from 2010 show the overall vehicle compliance rate at 80.0 percent (80.4 percent in 2009), with an overall driver compliance rate of 95.6 percent (unchanged from last year). For NAS Level I inspections, the compliance rates were 76.7 percent for vehicles (77.8 percent in 2009) and 96.3 percent for drivers (96.1 percent in 2009). In addition, there were 189 more safety belt violations in 2010 than there were last year (1,159 vs. 970), a 19.5 percent increase. Inspections of passenger-carrying vehicles resulted in an increased vehicle compliance rate (91.0 percent in 2010 vs. 88.5 percent in 2009) and a driver compliance rate in 2010 that was unchanged from last year (96.4 percent). Hazardous materials inspections resulted in a vehicle compliance rate of 83.7 percent (83.0 percent in 2009) and driver compliance rate of 97.5 percent (97.0 percent). There were 26,605 CVSA decals issued to vehicles that passed the inspection, which was down from the number issued in 2009 (29,972).
“Brake-related defects continue to account for half of all out-of-service violations,” said CVSA Region V (Canada) President Steve Callahan. “As such, we strongly encourage governments, industry associations, owner-operators, motor carriers and drivers alike to take an active part in the upcoming 2010 Brake Safety Week, September 12-18. We need all industry players to continue working together to achieve a further sustained drop in the OOS rate in the years ahead.”
“Every time an inspector checks the brakes, tires, tiedowns, a driver or other items while conducting an inspection, what’s in the back of their minds is this — what I’m doing will save a life. The people who we read about in the news are “our” family members and we are here to protect them,” said CVSA’s President Buzzy France. “There is no one person, agency or organization that feels we can achieve zero fatalities alone. We need partners to solve this complex problem. All of us have an important role to play.”
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
CVSA ENCOURAGES UCR ENFORCEMENT BEGINNING JULY 15
Revenue Generated from UCR Ensures Commercial Vehicle Safety, Enforcement
WASHINGTON, DC (July 1, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is encouraging all jurisdictions throughout North America to begin enforcement of the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) for the 2010 registration year to begin effective July 15, 2010. All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the UCR. Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States also are subject to UCR. Forty-one states are participating in UCR for the 2010 calendar/registration year and will serve as UCR base states.
“Revenue generated from UCR helps fund safety and enforcement programs which in turn goes a long way to ensuring safer roads and saving lives,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s interim executive director.
For more information on the states participating, or questions about the program, please visit the Unified Carrier Registration Center’s web site at www.ucr.in.gov.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
CVSA CALLS CSA 2010 A BOLD STEP, IF CAREFULLY IMPLEMENTED, CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE TRUCK, BUS SAFETY
WASHINGTON, DC (June 23, 2010) – CVSA strongly supports the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) concept and credited the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for moving it forward. It offers significant promise to transform compliance and enforcement activities to be more surgical in nature and to allow for more proactive safety interventions with motor carriers, which will ultimately save more lives. It also is consistent with one of CVSA’s major DOT reauthorization priorities — to streamline the compliance review process to make it more effective, as well as to establish a better safety rating process for motor carriers.
CVSA’s Interim Executive Director Stephen A. Keppler, testifying today before the Committee on House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, urged Congress to ensure there are adequate resources for increasing safety on U.S. highways -- citing the 4,229 deaths in 2008 resulting from commercial vehicles as unacceptable – and that passing a long-term transportation bill as soon as possible is critical.
“The large truck fatality rate dropped by 12.3% in 2008, and is down 20.8% since 2005, resulting in 1,000 fewer deaths in 2008 from large truck crashes than there were in 2005,” said Keppler. “Significant credit for this goes to the more than 12,000 commercial vehicle safety inspectors and law enforcement officers in North America who are working hard each and every day (as well as) to the many responsible members of the truck and bus industries who are mindful every day of the need to keep our highways safe. However… we still have plenty of work to do in our march towards zero deaths on our roadways.”
“With a program (CSA 2010) of this size and scope there are bound to be some bumps along the way,” said Keppler. “The key to success is to keep an open line of communication and for FMCSA to work together with the states, industry and other affected parties to ensure they are fully aware of what is happening and when.”
CVSA outlined several reasons for the need for CSA 2010 during the hearing on the ‘CSA 2010: Understanding FMCSA’s New System of Motor Carrier Oversight,’ but indicated it requires a long-term and sustained federal investment, and needs to be appropriately resourced at both the federal and state levels for it to be successful.
“This can only happen through a significant increase in funding and the passage of a long-term transportation bill. A glimpse of the additional resources needed at the federal level for CSA 2010 is evidenced by the President’s request for an additional $20 million beyond SAFETEA-LU authorized limits for his Fiscal Year 2011 budget for the purpose of rolling out CSA 2010,” said Keppler who explained the CSA 2010 experience thus far (through nine pilot states) is having a positive impact and is being received well by both enforcement and industry.
“We fully understand why FMCSA recently announced that they are modifying their timelines for implementing this program and fully support their doing so. A program of this size and scope needs careful planning, as well as input from all affected parties. Throughout this process FMCSA has been listening to us and others, and we appreciate them doing so. While we understand that schedules and timelines must be set to allow for proper planning and budgeting, we do not believe timelines should be set for the sake of timelines. We need to be realistic about what our expectations are and communicate them to all who have a need to know,” Keppler added.
CVSA supports FMCSA’s budget request; however, CSA 2010 will also require the states to expend more resources for implementation just as it has required the FMCSA to do so. In this regard, the Alliance sees several key issues that need to be appropriately resourced to the states: Training; Work force adjustments; Information Technology changes/upgrades; Roadside inspections; Data challenges and adjudication; and, CVSP and grant-related changes. CVSA also outlined several additional concerns its members have. In particular, states would like to be more informed on items such as implementation, program funding and its impact, and schedule, deliverables and timelines. Another key issue is whether FMCSA will be able to implement the information systems and software changes to support field operations in a timely manner.
Click here to view CVSA’s full written testimony.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
For more information contact:
Laura Zabriskie, Director, Communications & Marketing
lauraz@cvsa.org
301-830-6152
2010
CVSA MEMBERS SELECTED TO FMCSA’S MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, DC (June 1, 2010) – Two Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) members, Capt. Norman Dofflemyer, Commercial Motor Vehicle Division Commander, Maryland Department of State Police and Thomas Jacques, Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Bureau of Police were recently appointed to the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC).
“CVSA is proud to see Capt. Dofflemyer and Officer Jacques recognized for their outstanding service to commercial vehicle safety,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s interim executive director. “Their appointments, in addition to previous CVSA members appointed to the MCSAC, underscore our mission to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers.”
The MCSAC membership is balanced and is comprised of fifteen experts from the motor carrier industry, safety advocates, and safety enforcement sectors. Members are appointed by the FMCSA Administrator and serve two year terms and were chosen from a field of many qualified candidates who possess a wide range of motor carrier experience and expertise.
Six additional MCSAC members were named including: Kevin O'Brien, Director of Motor Carrier and Driver Safety Services, New York Department of Motor Vehicles; LaMont Byrd, Director of Health and Safety Department, International Brotherhood of Teamsters; John Lannen, Executive Director, Truck Safety Coalition; Jane Mathis, Board Member, Parents Against Tired Truckers; Peter Pantuso, President and CEO, American Bus Association; and, Danny Schnautz, Professional Truck Driver, Clark Freight Lines, Inc.
To obtain a complete summary of all MCSAC members and for details on upcoming MCSAC public meetings, visit http://mcsac.fmcsa.dot.gov.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
2010
ROADCHECK MOBILIZES THOUSANDS OF SAFETY INSPECTORS ACROSS CONTINENT
Annual CVSA Event Sends Strong Signal to CMV Drivers to Ensure Safety
WASHINGTON, DC (May 27, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is helping to mobilize thousands of roadside inspectors who patrol North America’s highways June 8-10, 2010 to send a strong message to commercial truck and bus motor carriers and their employees: “Be accountable to yourself, your employer and those you are sharing the road with to help in making sure all of us get to our destinations safely.” For 72 continuous hours inspectors and law enforcement officers will be conducting the annual “Roadcheck,” an event sponsored by CVSA which mobilizes thousands of federal, state, provincial and local inspectors to more than 1,500 locations across the continent to conduct comprehensive North American Standard (NAS) Level I Inspections and other related roadside enforcement activities.
“Roadcheck is successful because of the dedication and hard work of the thousands of roadside inspectors all across North America, as well as the strength of our partnerships and of the combined commitment to ensure trucks and buses are sharing the road safely with others,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s interim executive director. “Each year CVSA teams with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and other organizations, including the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada as well as the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation in Mexico to crack down on non-compliant trucks, buses and drivers during our Roadcheck campaign.”
CVSA will hold the international press conference at FedEx Field in Landover, MD, June 8, 2010 at 10 a.m. which will include speakers from FMCSA and other federal agencies, safety organizations and industry partners. In addition, Maryland State Police will be pulling commercial motor vehicles, including unoccupied motor coaches off the inner loop of I-95 screening vehicles that need to be inspected.
"The critical work of inspecting large commercial trucks and buses, and their drivers, takes place every day in every state and province in North America," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "The CVSA Roadcheck campaign places a much deserved spotlight on commercial vehicle safety and on the thousands of highly-trained professional inspectors who strive to ensure that ever motorist on our roadways reaches their destination safely."
Last year, 9,683 CVSA and FMCSA certified inspectors at 2,145 locations across North America performed a record 72,255 truck and bus inspections. Of that total, there were 56,486 NAS Level I inspections, the most comprehensive roadside inspection. Roadcheck 2009’s record total of overall inspections and Level I inspections showed significant declines in vehicle and driver OOS rates, as well as a significant drop in safety belt violations. Data show the highest overall vehicle compliance rate — 80.4 percent — since 1996, and the highest overall driver compliance rate — 95.7 percent — ever. For NAS Level I inspections, the compliance rates of 77.8 percent (vehicles) and 96.1 percent (drivers) were both records for Roadcheck, and represented 7.1 and 20.4 percent improvements respectively over 2008’s totals. In addition, safety belt violations were reduced in 2009 by 276 (1,246 to 970), a 22.2 percent improvement over 2008. Inspections of passenger carrying vehicles resulted in a vehicle compliance rate of 88.5 percent and a driver compliance rate of 96.4 percent, both improvements (5.7 percent for vehicles and 20 percent for drivers) over 2008. There were 29,972 CVSA decals issued to vehicles that passed the inspection.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org.
2010
CVSA, CITA Sign MOU to Advance Commercial Vehicle Highway Safety Worldwide Groups Pledge to Exchange Information, Experience and Best Practices to Further Mission
WASHINGTON, DC (April 27, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) announced it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee (CITA) to exchange information and experience on vehicle safety inspections with its respective members.
“CVSA and CITA both share a mission to advance the cause of vehicle and highway safety,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Interim Executive Director. “This MOU affirms our commitment to work together in sharing our research, knowledge and experience to improve commercial motor vehicle inspections and further road safety worldwide.”
Thomas L. Springer, CITA’s Chair of the North American Regional Advisory Group, noted that “commercial vehicles are vital to commerce across the globe and ensuring they operate safely on roadways is critical. By strengthening the working relationship with CVSA, we will be better positioned to ensure road safety and improve compliance with environmental emission standards.”
The MOU defines the structural framework for the two groups to share information related to the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of in-service inspections of in-service commercial motor vehicles and ongoing enforcement inspections. In addition, the agreement encourages the development of best practice recommendations; international standards; coordinating research, studies and investigations; improving and harmonizing inspection methods, standards and equipment, quality control, quality assurance and accreditation; and training for inspectors and information systems used to improve inspection consistency and effectiveness.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
CITA is an international not-for-profit association, based in Brussels, Belgium. It represents all types of organizations and stakeholders (government, private sector, dedicated inspection centres, garage-based test centers and test equipment manufacturers) who share a common interest in exchanging information, developing best practices and draft international standards in the field of road vehicle inspection. Its work focuses on improving transport sustainability with particular emphasis on road safety and environmental protection. CITA is recognised by the Commission of the European Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (particularly 'The World Forum for the Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations – WP 29') for its expertise in relation to roadworthiness inspections. CITA currently has about 110 members worldwide, representing over 50 countries and covering more than 250 million vehicle inspections a year. For more information about CITA, visit www.cita-vehicleinspection.org.
2010
Safety Coalition Urges Congress to Help Cut Highway Deaths
WASHINGTON, DC (March 11, 2010) – The State Highway Safety Alliance and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have joined forces to call for an aggressive plan to prevent hundreds of thousands of highway fatalities over the next twenty years through the upcoming surface transportation authorization bill.
“It’s only through the combined efforts of all highway safety partners that we will be able to make significant strides in reducing the deaths we see every year,” said Larry L. “Butch” Brown, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation and President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “Establishing a national strategy for cutting highway deaths in half over the next two decades and increasing funding for state highway safety programs is our common goal,” Brown said.
In a letter sent today to key House and Senate committees, the coalition which is made up of organizations from the areas of highway construction and safety, public health and law enforcement, called for greater funding of state highway safety programs, long-term strategic planning and research.
Governors Highway Safety Association Chairman and Director of the Maryland Highway Safety Office, Vernon F. Betkey, said “We know that highway deaths are preventable, and with increased attention and funding, thousands of families who lose loved ones each year in crashes can be spared this emotional and financial hardship."
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation an estimated 33,963 people were killed on U.S. highways in 2009; the lowest number of deaths since 1954. The coalition has set a goal of pushing the number of annual traffic deaths to below 20,000 by the year 2030.
Steve Blessing, President of the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials said “We urge Congress to reauthorize federal highway safety programs that motivate states to significantly reduce highway deaths and injuries through innovative and effective highway safety strategies."
The coalition has adopted the following authorization principles:
- A national highway safety goal of halving fatalities by 2030 with state targets that support the national goal;
- Increased safety funding to enable states to reach that goal;
- Streamlined program administration and enhanced flexibility to focus federal resources where they are most needed;
- A strengthened strategic highway safety planning process to ensure that states reach their targets;
- Enhanced data collection and analysis so that problems can be identified and progress tracked;
- Increased investment in safety research and development so that states can implement evidence-based programs.
- Better preparation of the highway safety workforce in order to develop a cadre of safety professionals; and,
- Incentives which will encourage states to improve as opposed to more sanctions.
"State motor vehicle agencies are determined to reduce the number of highway deaths by the year 2030," said Neil Schuster, President and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. ”And with Congress and highway safety partners working together, we can make this happen."
State Highway Safety Alliance members are the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials.
"We are making great progress in improving safety and reducing deaths on our highways. To continue this trend will take increased investments and sharing of best practices. The State Highway Safety Alliance is a great example of how collaboration helps us make progress in moving towards zero deaths," said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA's Interim Executive Director.
The Alliance is comprised of the three major recipients of the United States Department of Transportation grants as well as other state-based safety stakeholders.
The Alliance represents state agencies with roles in improving highway safety through infrastructure, driver behavior, licensing, incident response, and enforcement approaches.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police while not a member of the alliance, shares its goals, concerns, and priorities with respect to these recommendations for the Surface Transportation Authorization.
See the group’s letter to Congress and its authorization principles at: http://tinyurl.com/safety-release0310
2010
CVSA’S 2010 WORKSHOP BRINGS TOGETHER HUNDREDS TO ACTIVELY IMPROVE CMV SAFETY
Group Identifies, Evaluates Policies, Regulations and Training to Reduce Crashes
WASHINGTON, DC (March 4, 2010) – Truck and bus safety specialists, together with law enforcement, government and industry from across North America, will convene at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 2010 Workshop, April 19-22 in San Antonio, TX, to assess processes and procedures that will improve commercial motor vehicle and overall highway transportation safety.
“Proactively preventing crashes involving large commercial trucks and interstate buses takes a concerted effort on the part of many stakeholders,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Interim Executive Director. “To accomplish this, CVSA members actively work to implement new and critical traffic safety initiatives that enhance commercial vehicle enforcement and roadside inspections which ultimately save lives.”
“Now as we push forward toward the challenges of today and the future, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) thanks those participating in the CVSA Workshop in advance, for contributing their expertise and unique insights to help inform our path as we reach for even higher plateaus of safety accomplishment,” said Anne S. Ferro, FMCSA’s Administrator.
In addition to the regularly scheduled committee meetings, there will be two presentations on April 19th. The first is a presentation by Dan Blower from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, who will discuss the association between the mechanical condition of the truck and crash safety, using FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) data. A second session on that afternoon will be a presentation on the CSA 2010 Carrier Safety Management System given by David Madsen from the Volpe Center.
Later in the week on April 21, the U.S. Department of Transportation, along with the Trucking Industry Mobility and Technology Coalition (TIMTC) will facilitate an IntelliDriveSM for Commercial Vehicles Workshop focused on advancing connectivity among vehicles and roadway infrastructure in order to significantly improve the safety and mobility of the U.S. transportation system. The IntelliDriveSM Program is a major initiative of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s (RITA) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program, in collaboration with NHTSA, FMCSA, and FHWA. The workshop is open to all attendees and has been structured such to be a hands-on interactive dialogue between government and industry. For more information on IntelliDriveSM, go to www.intellidriveusa.org and for information on TIMTC visit www.freightmobility.com.
Following the Workshop on April 22, the 5th Annual FMCSA MCSAP Leadership Conference will be held, in addition to the North American Cargo Securement Harmonization Public Forum – their first meeting of 2010. The Forum is unrestricted and open to all stakeholders and interested persons, such as; law enforcement personnel, roadside inspectors, regulators, shippers, motor carriers, drivers, and transportation safety directors. The meeting provides an opportunity to voice issues and concerns with the cargo securement regulations between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; and promotes safe, harmonized requirements for the securement of cargo on or in commercial motor vehicles throughout North America.
For more information on the activities of the North American Cargo Securement Harmonization Public Forum, visit http://www.cvsa.org/committees/cargo_securement.aspx. For details on the Workshop or to register, please visit www.cvsa.org.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org
2010
CVSA RELEASES 2010 NORTH AMERICAN STANDARD OUT-OF-SERVICE CRITERIA
Publication Outlines Benefits to Carriers, Commercial Vehicle Safety Overall
WASHINGTON, DC (February 2, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is releasing the 2010 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC), providing law enforcement and the motor carrier industry with a valuable tool designed to improve commercial motor vehicle safety by promoting uniformity in compliance and enforcement throughout North America.
CVSA has been maintaining, updating, and publishing the OOSC annually for more than twenty years which becomes effective throughout North America every April 1st. The OOSC is used by highly-qualified, specially-trained and certified state, provincial, territorial, and federal law enforcement personnel in identifying Critical Vehicle Inspection Item violations following a roadside inspection that can prohibit a motor carrier or operator from driving or operating a commercial motor vehicle for a specified period of time or until the defective condition is corrected. Approximately four-million commercial vehicle roadside inspections are conducted annually across North America by government enforcement agencies. Issued upon the completion of a Level I or V inspection, CVSA decals are only applied to commercial motor vehicles with no violations of the Critical Vehicle Inspection Items contained in the OOSC. The OOSC is a component of the North American Standard Inspection Program, and is developed through a collaborative process that includes government and industry experts and which is focused on the issues most critical to maintaining the safe operations of commercial vehicles on our roadways.
“It is in the best interests of every driver and motor carrier to be familiar with the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Interim Executive Director. “Knowing which commercial motor vehicle violations have been identified as being the most serious is helpful because it provides necessary focus in properly maintaining vehicles and it saves lives. It also helps prevent unnecessary delays and down time in transit as a result of having a driver or vehicle placed out-of-service.”
Roadside inspection results are used in part to identify motor carriers that present a high degree of risk to the motoring public. As a result, the data collected helps in determining which transportation companies will be selected for review under FMCSA’s new Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) initiative. “With full implementation of CSA 2010 activities on the horizon, such as the new Carrier Safety Measurement System, knowing the ‘Criteria’ in advance can assist a motor carrier ensure the accuracy of the roadside inspection data collected and contained within a motor carrier’s safety profile.” said Larry G. Woolum, Regulatory Affairs Director of the Ohio Trucking Association and Chair of CVSA’s Associate Advisory Committee.
“The information collected during a roadside inspection provides the foundation for data-driven traffic safety initiatives. As a result, the importance of this issue cannot be understated, as it has strong implications to not only CSA 2010 but all of our traffic safety programs,” said Buzzy France, CVSA’s President. “Commercial motor vehicle safety continues to be a challenge and we need the involvement of all affected parties to help us better understand these issues and put into place practical solutions. As commercial vehicle inspectors, our continued diligence will help us reach our ultimate goal of saving lives.”
For more information on the North American Standard Inspection Program, or on how to obtain the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, visit www.cvsa.org. For more information on CSA 2010, visit http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org
2010
CVSA OFFERS TRAINING, INSIGHTS INTO HAZMAT TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AT CONFERENCE
Cooperative HazMat Enforcement Development Program Educates Enforcement Community
WASHINGTON, DC (January 8, 2010) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development (COHMED) Program is holding their annual conference January 24-28, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency River Walk in San Antonio, TX. COHMED is an outreach activity of CVSA which works to foster coordination, cooperation, and communication between federal, state and local agencies having regulatory and enforcement responsibility for the safe transportation of hazardous materials and the industry that they regulate.
The five-day conference includes training sessions on inspections of bulk packages: MC338 and cryogenics, the preemption determination process, a live presentation of the capabilities of the hazmat intelligence portal, an in-depth look at the U.S. Coast Guard's Cargo Inspection Team, with a focus on how roadside inspectors can support its activities and many others.
In addition, regulatory updates will be provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Associate Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, William Quade; Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Acting Deputy Administrator Cynthia Douglass; Transportation Security Administration General Manager, TSNM/Highway and Motor Carrier Division, William "Bill" Arrington; Federal Aviation Administration Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Christopher J. Bonanti; and Transport Canada’s Donna McLean.
The conference’s keynote speaker, Randy Speight, Managing Director, and CHEMTREC will discuss some of the emergency response challenges related to the import of hazardous materials with foreign shipment origins and what CHEMTREC® is doing to address those challenges.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA visit www.cvsa.org
