Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/91910
EQUIPMENT: LOAD SECUREMENT IF A FLATBED FLEET HAS A NEW UNFAMILIAR LOAD, MAVERICK RECOMMENDS OBTAINING PICTURES OF IT – OR SENDING SOMEONE TO THE CUSTOMER'S LOCATION TO INSPECT THE LOAD AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRANSPORT IT SAFELY. is entered into the fleet's Cargo-Related BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Im- provement Category). Admittedly, there are several violations for which a driver is not responsible – including aspects of the law that assigns responsibility to either the shipper or the fleet – but if the ticket- ing officer determines that the infraction is one the driver could have rectified, a separate violation will be entered into that driver's personal database. It appears that dynamic only will inten- sify going forward, as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration soon will finalize additional changes to the Cargo- Related BASIC. Following a four-month preview of proposed changes to CSA, FMCSA announced the Cargo-Related BASIC is being changed to the Hazardous Materi- als (HM) Compliance BASIC to better identify more carriers with HM safety and compliance problems. FMCSA also is strengthening the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC by including cargo/load secure- ment violations from today's Cargo- Related BASIC. "Some of the weighting and the placement criteria, as well as the Hazmat BASIC, will change," says Dean Newell, vice president of safety for Little Rock, Ark.-based Maverick Transportation. As law enforcement attention on cargo securement increases, all fleets are MAVERICK'S BASIC ORIENTATION LASTS FIVE DAYS, AND IF THE DRIVER IS WORKING IN THE COMPANY'S FLATBED DIVISION, LOAD SECUREMENT CONSISTS OF ANOTHER WEEK OF HANDS-ON EXERCISES AT MAVERICK'S TRAINING FACILITY – AND IF THEY'RE HAUL- ING GLASS, ANOTHER WEEK ON TOP OF THAT. reviewing their securement procedures. As a carrier with a large flatbed opera- tion, Maverick finds itself under a more intense spotlight than fleets hauling box trailers. "We're definitely seeing more flatbed inspections as CSA kicks in," Newell says. "I'm not saying that's a bad thing – it's to be expected." That's why Maverick moni- tors its drivers and how their CSA scores are faring within its fleet. "Both (fleet and driver) scores are important," he says. Under CSA, cargo securement includes a wide array of inspection points and potential violations. Beyond simple unse- cured loads, failing to flag a load properly or marking hazardous materials improp- erly can result in a violation. Similarly, a driver transporting hazardous materials can expect to be ticketed for failing to have proper emergency information on hand when it is requested. Flatbed operations bear the brunt of cargo-related CSA concerns simply because of the visibility of their loads and securement devices, but reefer and van operations don't have it any easier. CSA also specifies that cargo inside a van trailer must be secured against movement in all four directions. As with a flatbed operation, if the driver fails to secure the load with straps or load bars across the back of a load that does not reach the back doors, he will end 58 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 up with a ticket. "Drivers bear the brunt unless it is a sealed load and the driver is doing a drop and hook," says Bob Dissinger, director of U.S. sales for Kinedyne. If the trailer is loaded but not sealed, the driver should open the trailer doors and check to see the load is secured properly, Dissinger says. On flatbeds, he should check all cargo securement devices to ensure the proper amount and tighten- ing, he says. Keeping up to date Continuing education is the most important factor in fending off CSA hits. "You really need to monitor and keep up to date on cargo securement rules and regulations," Dissenger says. These laws change regularly at federal, state and local levels. Dissenger says fleets also must conduct regular safety training for drivers and anyone else loading and securing a trailer. "At Kinedyne, we tell our customers to be aware that not all safety-related secure- ment products are the same," he says. A lower price tag often translates into lower product quality, consistency and life expectancy, he says. Newell directs Maverick's cargo secure- ment training programs and describes them as extensive and intensive, relying heavily on a systematic approach to edu-