CSA's Data Trail

View from the road: ELD mandate increases pressure on operators, in more ways than one
Overdrive readers largely believe recent-history degradation of highway safety is due, at least in part, to ELDs. But some operators point to other issues in trucking as the real underlying problems negatively impacting safety.
October 20, 2022
John Highley
ELDs and highway safety: Crashes, injuries and fatalities rise post-mandate
Despite FMCSA's estimations that the ELD mandate would reduce injuries and fatalities in truck-involved crashes, crash numbers in the four years post-mandate tell a different story. Are ELDs the cause of the problem, or just one factor?
October 20, 2022
Truck-involved crashes before and after the ELD mandate
The toughest states for brakes violations: 2022 update to get prepped for Brake Safety Week blitz
The brakes-enforcement blitz's focus this year on hose/tube chafing yields plenty in the way of tips for preparing. What states are most likely to issue violations during the August 21-28 event? Find out here.
August 2, 2022
Florida Highway Patrol inspector points out a chafed brake air line hose
'Man v. machine' comes to the roadside: Mitigating rising 'false log' risk
Five years into the ELD mandate, inspectors have the tools to catch improper use of PC, resulting most often in the "false log" violation as punishment. But faced with the choice of PC or an 11/14 violation, taking the latter on the chin might be best.
July 22, 2022
broken screen on an eld
A sharp rise in moving violations, as inspection numbers inch back toward pre-COVID levels
A very small number of states in 2021 show inspection levels at or above 2019, as a new emphasis in some on Level 3 driver inspections following traffic stops pushes moving violations to new heights. Download the 2022 CSA's Data Trail update for more.
July 19, 2022
Truck headed past weigh station sign to Gilroy scale on SB 101 in California
The five most-common reasons wheel seals fail -- and other Roadcheck-ready wheel-end resources
Roadcheck's focus next week? Wheel end components. Expect closer scrutiny of hubs. Among the first indicators of a problem is a leaky wheel seal. FMCSA consistently names leaky hubs/seals one of the most common violations found in inspection.
May 12, 2022
Tennessee roadside inspector inspecting a wheel
DataQs reform: A 10% violation error rate should not be acceptable
When a noticeable sidewall cut in a trailer tire was determined to have been marked as a violation in error, this small fleet owner did the math on his successful DataQs challenges over the past years. Here, his ideas on needed DataQs/CSA reform.
March 29, 2022
Tire with sidewall cut
FMCSA's safety ratings trend negative: A majority issued in 2021 were Conditional
In 2021, in stark contrast to most recent years, a majority of all audits that concluded with a safety rating ended with the carrier getting a Conditional rating. Ratings and audits continued to decline, with Satisfactory ratings in ever-shorter supply.
February 10, 2022
driver at counter with officer
An assist for avoiding brake adjustment violations
Though the national rate for brake-adjustment violations has been decreasing in recent years, small fleet owner Bryon Stoll found (the hard way) a state where that's definitely not the case. That led him to this simple adjustment indicator assist device.
February 3, 2022
upclose shot of brake safe indicator on a reefer trailer
FMCSA updates warning-letter protocol to hit more carriers | Expect I-35 delays in southern Okla.
FMCSA now sending more warning letters for Unsafe Driving BASIC scores. In other news: I-35 will be narrowed to one lane in each direction near mile marker 8 in Oklahoma; Cummins/Rush now joint natural gas developers; more ELD data in Trucker Tools.
January 18, 2022
Highway Construction Work
The intensity of brakes, other vehicle enforcement is highest in these states
What's your guess for the state most prone to hand out the highest rate of violations in any inspection? What about brake violations, a big focus of next week's nationwide brake-blitz? Find out what the numbers say here.
August 20, 2021
2020 Violations Per Inspection Infographic Snap
The hours enforcement 'black hole' out West
Nationally, hours of service violations were issued in smaller numbers in 2020, continuing a long-term trend. Yet looked at another way, the intensity of focus on hours in inspections has increased, particularly so in these contiguous states.
July 29, 2021
2020 hours of service violations map west US
The 14-state truck speed trap
Find here the jurisdictions that most heavily prioritize speeding violations, based on the inspection reports filed by truck-enforcement jurisdictions in 2021. Also: Toughest states for moving violations overall, and broad enforcement trend data.
July 6, 2021
14 state speed trap
Roadcheck hotspots: States with highest inspection and lights/hours violation intensity
Overdrive's latest CSA's Data Trail update, bringing in 2020 data: States ranked high for inspection intensity show high likelihood of inspecting a truck in normal times, and more so when inspection-blitz season heats up annually in Spring and Summer.
April 30, 2021
truck inspections per lane-mile 2021
Roadcheck inspections: To avoid or not to avoid, or both?
Updated results show more than a fourth of readers planning to sit this one out, yet intentions are not the same as actual action, as past Roadchecks indicate. Find data here on likely May 4-6 inspection hotspots, perspectives on enforcement and more.
April 8, 2021
Almost a fourth of owner-ops were planning to take a vacation for the week to avoid the hassles associated with inspection – delays, for most, violations and the chance of the dreaded out-of-service violation for others. Another five percent, too, would be off the road for planned major maintenance and/or shop inspection, a tack taken by owner-operator Mike Crawford of Long Lane, Missouri, every year over the last several, as you'll see.
CSA's Achilles' Heel: Exposed carrier data
In this Overdrive Radio podcast, views on unintended consequences that continue to be big problems for carriers. The entire trucking, enforcement and regulator community should do a lot better, two panelists contend, working together to solve issues.
April 23, 2021
police receiving information from man
The power of video evidence in fighting tickets, DataQs challenges
Courtroom crash dissembling and drama can be cut as with a sharp knife by good video evidence that proves your case, as this example from a Virginia bulk hauler shows clearly. It helps a speedy DataQs challenge, too.
April 1, 2021
Tow rig parked on shoulder of road with semi-truck
Roadcheck preps in a mobile-heavy state, where inspection numbers continue up
In today's Overdrive Radio, an Alabama captain explains his state's continued emphasis on inspection screening via "virtual weigh stations" with weigh-in-motion and/or other technologies for inspection screening. Also: Plenty Roadcheck tips for May 4-6.
March 26, 2021
Semi-truck stopped at a scale
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