With an unapologetic arm and middle finger extended towards Capitol Hill, the FMCSA recently announced their required planned “changes” to the SMS or Safety Measurement System.
The SMS is the scorecard that is used to monitor how safe a motor carrier operates.
Basically, the system analyzes a trucking company’s roadside inspection and crash data to help determine who needs some extra “attention” from the Feds. The well known “BASIC” scores, are all generated by the SMS Methodology.
If you need some help getting to sleep one night, you can learn how the SMS methodology works on the FMCSA’s website here.
The FMCSA has tinkered with the SMS methodology from time to time since it was first was introduced as part of their CSA 2010 initiative. Most small changes have done little to change the system dramatically and the recent round is no exception.
With the passage of the FAST Act in late 2015, Congress required the FMCSA to study the SMS methodology and make any needed changes that help them better measure fleet safety.
Here is a brief rundown of the proposed “earth-shattering” changes:
SMS Revision #1: Increase of “Utilization Factor” Mileage
Details of the change:
Currently, the equation for determining a few BASIC scores uses a “Utilization Factor”. This UF accounts for the impact on fleets who run many more miles than average carriers. The upper limit for this “UF” is being bumped up from 200,000 miles to 250,000 miles.
Impact of the change:
Insignificant
Reasoning:
Most motor carriers don’t run anywhere near 200,000 miles per unit per year on average. Between 80,000 to 100,000 miles per year is average. Accordingly, this change shouldn’t be felt by most.
SMS Revision #2: Only Recent Roadside Inspections
Details of the change:
Currently, a motor carrier will be picked up in the SMS if they had a roadside inspection in the last 24 months. That will now be reduced to 12 months.
Impact of the change:
Insignificant
Reasoning:
Most motor carriers in the SMS system have many more than only 1 inspection in the last 12 months. Overall, this shouldn’t have much of an impact on most carriers.
SMS Revision #3: Change in HazMat Grouping
Details of the change:
Currently, the SMS regards all trucking companies who haul HazMat as equal. But, there is is difference between a dry van carrier hauling an occasional load of batteries and a gas hauler. The SMS will be updated to show cargo tank vs. non-tank segments.
Impact of the change:
Insignificant
Reasoning:
Most motor carriers don’t haul HazMat. This change will help some of those who do, but the overall population will not feel this change at all.
SMS Revision #4: Change Intervention Thresholds for Most BASIC Scores
Details of the change:
The FMCSA is adjusting the BASIC “Intervention Thresholds”.
Essentially, they target those carriers who have BASIC percentile scores higher than the threshold for more attention. The The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC threshold will be dropped from 80% to 75%. The Driver Fitness BASIC, the Controlled Substance and Alcohol BASIC, and the HazMat BASIC thresholds will all be increased from 80% to 90%.
This change is meant to better reflect the correlation between crash risk and the measurements in each of these areas. Since the FMCSA feels that vehicle maintenance is a better predictor of future crash risk, they are casting a wider net by lowering the score. The opposite goes for the other BASICS mentioned here. The Unsafe Driving and Hours of Service BASIC Intervention Thresholds remain unchanged.
Impact of the change:
Minor
Reasoning:
These minor changes will probably cancel each other out in terms of the number of motor carriers selected for further intervention.
SMS Revision #5: Re-Categorize Driving While Out of Service Violations
Details of the change:
A driver caught operating a commercial motor vehicle after being issued an Out Of Service order from the FMCSA currently receives a violation in the Hours of Service category. That will now be placed in the Unsafe Driving category.
Impact of the change:
Insignificant
Reasoning:
Really?
SMS Revision #6: Change In Crash BASIC Scoring Threshold
Details of the change:
Currently, a motor carrier will not receive a percentile score in the Crash BASIC unless they have 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. The proposal changes this to 3 crashes.
Impact of the change:
Minor at most
Reasoning:
This small change will do little to help prioritize unsafe motor carriers for further intervention.
Overall, these changes are irrelevant. Some carriers may be impacted with slightly higher or lower BASIC scores, but I don’t think that any of these are significant enough to warrant serious consideration by fleet owners. The FMCSA is simply fulfilling a requirement placed on them by an arcane piece of legislation.
If you want to take a further look into these proposed changes, check out the SMS Preview Presentation.
