subject: Trucking Safety Details Often Overlooked [print this page] Trucking Safety Details Often Overlooked Trucking Safety Details Often Overlooked
In my college experience, I've found that one fact holds true in almost every endeavor I've been part of. It's always the small details that matter. I've seen no indication that such a line of thought won't prove useful once I move into the workforce myself. And on that note, I'm going to offer you some insight into two or three of the small details that I've noticed about several facets of the trucking industry.
The first, and most grievous, detail that is either overlooked, or outright ignored, is the fact that quite a few of the statistics quoted to emphasize the need for further regulations on truckers may be widely known, but their validity may be in question. One of those statistics that I have seen bandied about in several articles is the one stating "31 percent of all heavy truck accidents [are] caused by driver fatigue." While this is indeed an alarming number, the fact is that this statistic was culled from a safety study that occurred 22 years ago, and only looked at approximately 200 accidents. The fact that it has been used so often to press the need for more restrictive laws is all the more jarring when there are numbers available like the statistics from this September FMCSA study, which states that the numbers have dropped to 1.4 percent
While it is incumbent upon everyone to analyze the sources of the statistics they read, it is just as important for everyone to pay attention to the details in their own work.TruckingInfo.com stated the following in their September 2nd article: "a carrier's performance under the SafeStat measurement system is not a reliable indicator of how it will perform under CSA 2010."
Their reasoning? The new CSA, which will start being enforced just next month, has an analysis that goes much further in-depth, and results in quite a bit more scrutiny being paid to formerly statistically insignificant parts in their inspections. All news is not bad, however, as safety directors and vice presidents from a number of companies have indicated that though the regulations will take some getting used to, they feel it will be a positive change for the industry.
Again, however, I'm noticing that it's seemingly minor details that could cause problems. Donna Underwood, safety director of Steelman Transportation even remarked, "If you're going to use a strap, it has to be a good strap, even if it's extra." It's that kind of attention to detail that must be paid to all aspects of truck and trailer, including something as relatively sturdy as the trailer kingpin. Sure, it's a sturdy piece of steel, and wears down glacially, at worst, but should it be worn past a certain diameter, CSA 2010 will require the kingpin to be either replaced or repaired, removing the trailer from service for a fair length of time. Additionally, kingpin removal can sometimes weaken the trailer's surrounding structure, making the next set of repairs occur far sooner than they might have otherwise. As such, it's probably better to attempt some sort of kingpin repair before the replacement becomes unavoidable.
