TORONTO, Ont. — It’s being called “the biggest change in safety and compliance in the US that we’ve had since the early 30s” and it’s just months away.

Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 is completely changing the way the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) measures and assesses carrier safety. The program, which will be rolled out across the US next year, grades carriers and their drivers on seven BASIC performance criteria every 30 days.

For the very first time, drivers will have their own safety rating and it will directly impact the rating of the carrier they drive for. Every 30 days, drivers and carriers will receive one of three ratings: Continue to operate; Marginal; or Unfit.

Jeff Davis, vice-president of safety and human resources for Dayton, Ohio-based Jet Express, recently travelled to Canada to present an overview of CSA 2010 on behalf of the Truckload Carriers Association. His presentation left an impression on attendees at the most recent Driving for Profit seminar and it can now be viewed in its entirety as part of The Driver’s Seat online information video series.

In the presentation, Davis thoroughly explains the implications of CSA 2010 on carriers and drivers who operate in the US. He also addresses the topic from a Canadian perspective.

“That driver holding onto the wheel literally has his hands around your safety rating in the US, so you have to learn how to work with him and teach him to bring him into compliance – it’s a huge job,” said Davis, noting drivers are not used to being continuously monitored and scored.

Davis also offers tips on how to prepare for CSA 2010 and warns “There are carriers in the US and Canada, big name carriers…and when this rock hits the pond, they’re going to be in trouble. The tide’s going to go out and we’re going to see who’s been swimming naked.”

For more information on The Driver’s Seat, visit www.TheDriversSeat.ca. To subscribe for as little as $7.99 per month and view Davis’ presentation in its entirety, call CarriersEdge at 905-530-2430 to create an account.