GUARDIAN - ColoradoPrograms • William Schaefer, Director of Vehicle Programs • Ken Albrecht, Director of Education and Training • Iris Leonard, Manager of Member Services •

Volume 23, Issue 44th Quarter 2016

GUARDIANA Publication of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

GUARDIANA Publication of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

Arizona's Daniel Voelker is CVSA's 2016 North American

Inspectors Championship Grand Champion

PBBT Demonstration a Success

North AmericanStandard Part BCourse Goes to Mexico

New Drugs Bring Big Challenges

CVSA Holds Its 2016 Annual Conference with a Record Number of

Registrants, Sponsors and Exhibitors

n InsightPresident’s Message ................................................................................1Executive Director’s Message................................................................2Letters to the Editor..........................................................................................4

n Government NewsThe Legislative and Regulatory Rundown..........................................5New Drugs Bring Big Challenges ........................................................6FMCSA Launches Public Safety Campaign to Raise Awareness

about Sharing the Road with Large Trucks and Buses ....................7News and Necessary Actions Related to the Bus Leasing

and Interchange Rule ..................................................................................8Using Violation-Free Federal or State Roadside Inspections

to Satisfy Annual Inspection Requirements ..................................8FMCSA’s Consumer Protection Standards Review

for New Household Goods Movers..................................................9Online Activity Center for Enforcement System Helps

Enforcement Community Work Faster and Smarter..................10

n Cover StoryCVSA Has Record High Attendance at Its

2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition ........................................11

n CVSA Committee and Program NewsCVSA Releases 2016 International Roadcheck Results ................14Arizona's Daniel Voelker is CVSA's 2016 North American

Inspectors Championship Grand Champion......................................16Approximately 12 Percent of Vehicles Placed Out of Service with

Brake Violations During CVSA's Unannounced Brake Check Day....19CVSA Supports ‘Road to Zero’ Partnership Aimed at

Ending Traffic Fatalities Within the Next 30 Years ....................20PHMSA Awards Community Safety Grant to CVSA ......................20

n Regional NewsConnecticut Trains Its Officers on Heavy Vehicle Inspections

and Improves Data Collection..........................................................21Maryland Department of State Police Conducts Enforcement

and Inspection Initiatives in October ............................................23Florida Highway Patrol’s Inspection and Educational Initiatives....24Florida Highway Patrol Holds Sugarcane Hauler Seminars ..........25Kentucky State Police Teaches Teens to

Drive Safely Around Large Trucks ..................................................26KCC Adds Human Trafficking Awareness Training to

Kansas Motor Carrier Safety Program ..........................................27PBBT Demonstration a Success..........................................................28Michigan’s Motor Carrier For-Hire Licensing Goes Digital..........28Wisconsin State Patrol and Michigan State Police Provide

Educational Information at Annual Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo ............................................29

Nebraska State Patrol Conducts Surprise Truck Inspections..........29Veteran Investigator Takes Action to Prevent

Potential Cargo Tank Failure ............................................................30Sandia’s Driver Safety Games Put Safety Standards

into High Gear ......................................................................................31

Arizona DPS Conducts Safety Inspections of Passenger Buses as Part of National Initiative ............................32

North American Standard Part B Course Goes to Mexico............32The Oregon Motor Carrier Safety Action Plan ..................................33Alberta’s Chief Callahan Appointed to CALEA................................34Alberta Transportation’s New Executive Director

of Safety and Compliance Services................................................34Inspection Photos ..................................................................................34A Tribute to Sean McAlister ....................................................................35

n From the Driver's SeatWant to Understand Truck Drivers? Go to Driving School............36

n Industry PerspectivesAdvanced Driver Assistance Systems:

The Next Generation in Driver Safety ............................................37Evolving Tread Design for Commercial Trucks May Be

Right Around the Corner ..................................................................38

n Inspector’s CornerDeveloping Partnerships with Industry ............................................39

n RAD Inspection NewsBringing Realism into the Training Environment ..........................40CVSA Holds Its 158th Level VI Certification Class in Pennsylvania....40U.S. DOE Awards Cooperative Agreement to CVSA ......................41CVSA Level VI Program Conducts Peer Review in New Mexico....41Level VI Training Schedule ..................................................................41Level VI Refresher at 2017 COHMED Conference..............................42U.S. DOE’s Office of Environmental Management Idaho Site

Crews Complete Buried Waste Cleanup Accomplishment..........42Roadside Inspections, Level VI (2016 - Fiscal) ..................................42

GUARDIANFourth Quarter

Volume 23, Issue 4www.cvsa.org

IN THIS ISSUEGUARDIAN

A Publication of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

GUARDIAN

GUARDIAN6303 Ivy Lane • Suite 310 • Greenbelt, MD 20770-6319Phone: 301-830-6143 • Website: www.cvsa.org

“Guardian” is published quarterly by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliancewith support from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. CVSAand FMCSA are dedicated to government and industry working together topromote commercial motor vehicle safety on North American highways.

CVSA Staff: Collin B. Mooney, CAE, Executive Director • Adrienne Gildea, Deputy Executive Director • Carlisle Smith, Director of Hazardous MaterialsPrograms • William Schaefer, Director of Vehicle Programs • Ken Albrecht,Director of Education and Training • Iris Leonard, Manager of MemberServices • Nicole Leandro, Manager of Communications • Claudia McNatt,Manager of Conferences and Exhibits • Ivanna Yang, Manager ofGovernment Affairs • Amelina Kassa, Administrative Assistant

Copyright 2016, CVSA. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may bereproduced without written permission from the publisher.

For comments, suggestions or information, email [email protected].

Commercial VehicleSafety Alliance

@CVSA CVSACommunications

I N S I GH T

FOURTH QUARTER 2016 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

There’s Always Room for ImprovementBy Julius Debuschewitz, B.A., Manager, National Safety Code, Transport Services,

Highways and Public Works, Government of Yukon, Canada

Oh my, how time flies. It seemslike I was just nominated for theposition of CVSA secretary, yethere I am, writing my firstpresident’s letter.

Much has happened since my election inBuffalo, New York, as you well know. It has notalways been easy over the last two years, buta lot was accomplished, thanks in particular tothe hard work by dedicated staff members. Ithink the Alliance has weathered the changeswell and is in good shape to face futurechallenges.

My predecessors have kept you up to dateregarding the issues confronting us. And whilemany of those issues have been addressed,there is still room for improvement. That doesnot imply that my predecessors did a poor job.Rather, they have laid a good foundation onwhich we can continue to build, and that isexactly what I wish to do in the next year.

One of the things very dear to me isuniformity of CVSA inspections. We havecome a long way, but there is certainly moreto be done. The North American InspectorsChampionship (NAIC) is one way of fosteringuniformity, but I would like to think there aremore avenues available to us. To that end, Iwill discuss that issue with the TrainingCommittee to see what kind of ideas we cancome up with. Few things upset our industrypartners more than not being treated equallywhen traveling from jurisdiction tojurisdiction, particularly when it comes toinspections.

Another thing I would like to do is helpfacilitate continued communications betweenour jurisdictions and countries. A significantstep forward has been taken by FMCSA at theSeptember 2016 meeting in Little Rock, whenthey committed to resume dialogue withCanada concerning carrier ratings andreciprocity. It can only help industry and lawenforcement agencies when regulators in allthree countries actively search for ways tocome up with more uniform policies andregulations. After all, we depend a great dealon road transport, and we cannot afford tohinder the smooth and safe flow of commerceunnecessarily. I firmly believe CVSA can and

should play a large role as a catalyst in thisendeavor. Indeed, the formation of our twolatest committees, the Enforcement andIndustry Modernization Committee and thePolicy and Regulatory Affairs Committee, willhelp the Alliance fulfill that goal.

In my election speech, I promised greatertransparency and a willingness to hear yourvoices. I fully intend to keep those promises.To that end, I invite everyone to attend CVSA’sboard meetings and to ask questions whendoing so. Please do not be afraid to make youropinions known. You are the most importantpart of the Alliance, and we need your input. I will ensure that closed sessions will be keptto an absolute minimum for the same reason.

The above also goes for attending any othercommittee and program meetings. The lastthing I want to see during my tenure is anuninvolved membership. Do not just sit therewithout saying anything and then complainafter the meetings are over. Please stand upand be heard, discuss issues at hand and offersolutions. Even if you are a newcomer toCVSA, don’t be shy. Indeed, you may just bethe one to have insights some of the morejaded and older among us (and I includemyself in that category) cannot come up withbecause, for various reasons, we might behesitant to think outside the box.

Staff has had some time now to get used tomy quirks. I learned a long time ago that staffmembers do most of the work inorganizations like CVSA, and I can honestlysay that I look forward to continuing aproductive relationship.

We are living in a rather unstable andturbulent time, and I am certain we willexperience more change in the future. I wantthe Alliance to be as well prepared as possibleto meet any challenges and problems thatmay lie ahead. We are a diverse group andthat is part of our strength. Let us build onthat and the foundation laid by mypredecessors.

The next year will be interesting and anything but boring. Together, let us make it a successful one. n

Please do not beafraid to make youropinions known.You are the mostimportant part of theAlliance, and weneed your input.

I N S I GH T

GUARDIAN2

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

A Year in ReviewBy Collin B. Mooney, CAE, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

As I reflect back on 2016, it has beena very busy year for the CommercialVehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Asthe year evolved, the Alliance hadthree distinct themes that emerged

throughout the year: the hiring of theorganization’s fifth executive director, thetransition from a nonprofit association to anonprofit corporation, and the approval andimplementation of a renewed strategic plan.That includes the creation of two newcommittees, restructuring the CVSA Workshopand Annual Conference and Exhibition,budgeting financial resources and aligning CVSAstaff resources to meet the organizational goalsand objectives as outlined in the new strategicplan.

New Executive DirectorOn Jan. 11, 2016, the Alliance announced theselection of the organization’s fifth executivedirector in the history of the Alliance. Myresponsibilities as CVSA's executive directorwill be to provide leadership, direction andadministration for all aspects of the Alliance,respond to the needs of the membership,advocate CVSA's public policy positions, providequality programs and services to members andpartners, and work toward the achievement ofCVSA's mission, vision and goals.

Transition from a Nonprofit Association to aNonprofit CorporationOne of the biggest organizational developmentsover this past year was the transition from anunincorporated association to a nonprofitcorporation. Since this is a significant event inthe evolution of CVSA, I would like to provide abrief history lesson on how we started, how wehave evolved and where we are heading.

The Western States Commercial Vehicle SafetyAlliance met for the first time in 1980 inPortland, Oregon, as an informal gathering ofwestern state agencies and Canadian provincesresponsible for conducting commercial motorvehicle enforcement functions. Later that sameyear, during the second meeting of theorganization, the words “Western States” wereremoved, and the name “Commercial VehicleSafety Alliance” was officially established.

In 1982, the first bylaws for the unincorporatedassociation were ratified at a meeting inSeattle, Washington, officially creating theCommercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Fast forward 33 years. This past April during our CVSA Workshop in Chicago, Illinois, it wasdetermined that it would be in the best interestof the organization to operate all existingprograms and activities of CVSA under thecorporate form in lieu of remaining anunincorporated association.

As a result, the creation of a District of Columbianonprofit corporation named the CommercialVehicle Safety Alliance was authorized, with the understanding that all of CVSA’s assets and liabilities would be transferred to thecorporation, and the unincorporated associationwould thereafter dissolve.

With the assistance of legal counsel, CVSA was incorporated in the District of Columbia on May 3, 2016, and filed an application forrecognition of tax exempt status under CodeSection 501(c)(3) with the Internal RevenueService (IRS) on June 29, 2016.

Moving forward, as we begin a new chapter inthe history of the Alliance, CVSA as a nonprofitcorporation will continue to remain a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization. For more informationor to review legal documentation regardingeither entity, please feel free to contact me atany time.

If you have CVSA set up as a vendor withinyour organization’s finance department and/orany payments are set up to automaticallydeliver funds to CVSA, such as membershipdues renewals, conference registration,program product sales, CVSA decal orders,sponsorship, etc., you may need to update ouraccount information with our new IRS tax IDnumber: 38-4002963.

As required by the Nonprofit Corporations Actof the District of Columbia, the governingbody of the organization will now be referredto as the board of directors. The last executivecommittee meeting of the unincorporatedassociation was held on Thursday, Sept. 22,

One of the biggestorganizationaldevelopments overthis past year was the transition from an unincorporatedassociation to anonprofit corporation.

I N S I GH T


As I look forward to2017, I’m encouragedwith the progress that we made as anorganization in 2016,and I look forward to dedicating moretime to organizationaldevelopment tofurther the mission,vision and goals of the Alliance.

2016, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the firstboard of directors meeting of the nonprofitcorporation took place on Dec. 6, 2016, inWashington, D.C.

Aligning Staff Resources with Program ActivitiesAs I mentioned in my last executive director’smessage, in order to fully execute theimplementation of the renewed strategicplan/framework, a complete CVSA staffingreview was undertaken to make sure that all ofthe staff resources correctly aligned with theactivities outlined in the strategic plan.Consequently, during our 2016 AnnualConference and Exhibition in Little Rock,Arkansas, I’m pleased to report that once theAlliance’s fiscal year 2017 budget was approved,it included the immediate hiring of twoadditional employees – a director of ourCooperative Hazardous Materials EnforcementDevelopment (COHMED) program and adirector of roadside enforcement and inspectionprogram development.

As mandated in the FAST Act, the Pipeline andHazardous Materials Safety Administration(PHMSA) was directed by Congress toimplement a new community safety grantprogram to enhance the hazardous materialstraining of roadside inspection and enforcementpersonnel. As a result, I’m pleased to announcethat CVSA was recently awarded a newcommunity safety grant from PHMSA toimprove the nation’s response to hazardousmaterials transportation incidents. This newgrant activity focuses specifically on the trainingof state and local personnel responsible forenforcing the transportation of hazardousmaterials regulations. In order to accomplishthis task, the Alliance will be expanding ourcurrent COHMED program offerings. The periodof performance for this new community safetygrant was effective on Oct. 1, 2016.

The new director of roadside enforcement and inspection development program positionaligns with the enhanced programs andservices of the new strategic plan, and fills thevoid in a number of areas that I oncecoordinated over the past 14 years.

This position requires specific technicalprogram knowledge in the areas of roadsideenforcement and inspection, and motorcarrier safety, from both the enforcement and industry perspectives. The director willplan, organize and implement specificprograms and policies of CVSA and willdevelop, plan and schedule technical projectsand programs to support the mission, visionand goals of the Alliance.

In addition, with Adrienne Gildea's promotionto deputy executive director, we also recentlyselected Ivanna Yang as our manager ofgovernment affairs. Ivanna is a GeorgeWashington University School of Law graduate and has assumed a number ofAdrienne’s responsibilities in an effort toexpand our advocacy efforts, as outlined in our strategic plan.

On another related note, on Oct. 1, 2016, theU.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awardedCVSA a $1.7 million, five-year cooperativeagreement to train motor vehicle safetyofficials and ensure the safe transportation oftransuranic waste to the Waste Isolation PilotPlant (WIPP). See page 41 for moreinformation. This cooperative agreementrenewal is a continuation of our CVSA Level VIInspection Program that was initiallyestablished in 1986 and will continue to becoordinated by Carlisle Smith, our director ofthe Level VI Inspection Program.

As I look forward to 2017, I’m encouraged withthe progress that we made as an organization in 2016, and I look forward to dedicating moretime to organizational development to furtherthe mission, vision and goals of the Alliance.All the best in 2017 and beyond. n

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Meeting the Increased Demand for Commercial Vehicle DriversBy Fred Fakkema, Vice President of Compliance, Zonar

Labor shortages in trucking have plaguedthe industry since the 1980s whenderegulation sparked a jump in thenumber of trucking companies andincreased demand for drivers. However,

since 2011, the truck driver shortage in the U.S.has been skyrocketing and, as of 2014, theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration(FMCSA) counted 5.7 million commercial motorvehicle drivers in the country, including 3.9million with the commercial driver’s licensesneeded to operate tractor-trailers or other heavy-duty trucks.

According to the American TruckingAssociations (ATA), if the trend continues, there will likely be severe supply chaindisruptions resulting in significant shippingdelays, higher inventory carrying costs andperhaps shortages at stores. The industry hasabout 48,000 fewer drivers than availabledriver jobs, according to a 2015 ATA report.With almost 70 percent of all freight tonnagemoved on our nation's highways, the shortagecould be a lit powder keg on our economy.

There are numerous areas that the industryneeds to address to attract and retain gooddrivers. One that is having an ongoing impact on the shortage is the fact that aging drivers areretiring from the industry. So how do you getyounger adults to join the ranks of truck driving?Well, there are legislative hiccups to that too.Drivers under the age of 21, while eligible for acommercial driver’s license (CDL), are prohibitedfrom interstate travel. If you are 18 and in theArmy, you could be driving a truck acrossinternational borders, but back in the U.S., you are not allowed to drive from Binghamton,New York, to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Thetrucking industry is missing out on 18-21 year-olds who by the time they reach 21 may haveembraced an entirely different career.

The entire trucking industry is working toimprove the image of the industry and itsdrivers. Gamification of the truck drivingexperience is one key to attracting and

retaining youth, as are retention programs thatpoint to driver pay, more time at home andbenefits, including health and wellness, asimportant retention tools. Direct areas forgamification include fuel usage, vehicle uptimeand safe vehicle operation. Also, carriers saythat creating a career path that will eventuallyenable drivers to move out of the cab and intoan office can help with retention.

So while gamification and driver retentionprograms are chipping away at the shortage,there is still a desperate need for good drivers inthe industry. Resources such as Trucking MovesAmerica Forward, which was created by industrygroups to improve the industry’s image andmake it easier to attract drivers and otherworkers to trucking, should be leveraged. Thereis a great opportunity here. The CommercialVehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) could partner withATA and guide the discussion to a pilot programand encourage a graduated CDL license. If doneright, the 18-21 year-olds could gain theexperience needed to be professional drivers andfill that industry void while promoting safety.

It would be a win for the industry, a win for jobcreation for 18-21 year-olds and a win for theeconomy. n

While gamification and driver retentionprograms are chippingaway at the shortage,there is still a desperateneed for good driversin the industry.

I N S I GH T

GUARDIAN4


G O V E R N M E N T N E W S

FY 2017 AppropriationsAs of October 2016, funding for fiscal year (FY)2017 government programs remain at FY 2016levels after Congress passed a 10-weekcontinuing resolution (CR) on Sept. 28, 2016.While the CR was free from controversialtransportation amendments, there are severalissues that remain outstanding between theHouse and Senate versions of theTransportation-HUD appropriations bills (T-HUD). These include language addressingthe hours-of-service (HOS) issue created inthe highway bill which would eliminate theHOS restart provision included in the FY 2016Transportation Appropriations Act as well aslanguage in the House bill that would preventthe Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA) from implementingthe Safety Fitness Determination rule until theCSA study is complete.

Additionally, Congress must reconcile a largegap between the House and Senate bills’allocated FY 2017 funding levels for theDepartment of Transportation. Spending levelson the T-HUD bill have been increasinglyfraught in recent years as Congress hasauthorized more spending than the HighwayTrust Fund can pay for, creating the need foradditional infusions from the U.S. TreasuryDepartment.

FMCSA Publishes Final RuleAddressing CVSA Petition onWindshield-Mounted TechnologyOn Sept. 23, 2016, FMCSA issued a final rule toamend the Federal Motor Carrier SafetyRegulations (FMCSRs) to allow for thevoluntary mounting of certain devices on theinterior windshields of commercial motorvehicles, including placement within the areathat is swept by windshield wipers.

This final rule is the result of Section 5301 ofthe FAST Act which directed FMCSA to amendthe FMCSRs to allow devices to be mountedthat used vehicle safety technology. Further,the final rule also addresses CVSA’s petitionfrom 2007 requesting FMCSA to allow theinstallation of safety equipment such as videoevent recorders to windshields.

Annual Conference Rulemaking Wrap-upIn September, CVSA held its Annual Conferenceand Exhibition in Little Rock, Arkansas, wheregovernment officials, enforcement and industrymembers met in committees to discuss policygoals and priorities. Coming out of Little Rock,the CVSA Executive Committee approvedsubmission of comments to the Pipeline andHazardous Materials Safety Administration(PHMSA) regarding harmonization of hazardousmaterials regulations. Additionally, the Driver-Traffic Enforcement committee discussed a jointrulemaking by the National Highway TrafficSafety Administration (NHTSA) and FMCSA onspeed limiters. Discussions continued throughthe fall on CVSA’s response to the proposal.

• Speed Limiters: On Aug. 26, 2016,FMCSA and NHTSA released a jointnotice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)that would establish safety standardsrequiring all newly manufactured U.S.trucks, buses, tractor-trailers andmultipurpose passenger vehicles with agross vehicle weight rating of more than26,000 pounds to be equipped withspeed limiters. The Driver-TrafficEnforcement Committee met in LittleRock to begin discussion on the NPRM,followed by a conference call inOctober, with the goal of submittingcomments to the proposal.

• Hazardous Materials Harmonization:On Sept. 7, 2016, PHMSA published a NPRM proposing to amend theHazardous Materials Regulations tomaintain consistency with internationalregulations and standards byincorporating amendments such aschanges to shipping names, hazardclass, packing groups and packagingauthorizations. While supportive of the proposed rulemaking, CVSA’scomments, submitted in October, urgePHMSA to require access to materials at no charge for enforcement andgovernment purposes. Further, wecautioned that adoption by reference is not the only process by which statesincorporate regulatory changes and thata broader timeline may be necessary fortraining needs and uniform stateadoption of federal regulatory changes. n

THE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY RUNDOWN By Ivanna Yang, Manager of Government Affairs, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

CVSA Offers ActiveExemptions Tracker to Its MembershipCVSA maintains an up-to-date list of activeexemptions issued by FMCSA. If you are amember, you have 24/7 access to theexemptions tracker in your CVSA onlinemember account.

CVSA’s exemptions tracker is a list of allactive FMCSA exemptions for the following:hours of service (HOS), parts and accessoriesnecessary for safe operation, qualification ofdrivers and qualification of driver’s licensestandards. Every exemption is accompaniedby a brief summary. A full explanation of theexemption in the "Federal Register" can befound by clicking on the exemption title. Thelist does not include exemptions for specificindividuals or short-term exemptions, such asthose issued to the fireworks industry priorto the Independence Day holiday.

Members can access the exemptionstracker by logging into their CVSA memberaccount at www.cvsa.org/memberlogin,then click on the “Exemptions Tracker” tabat the top of the page.


GUARDIAN6

When the NationalTransportation Safety Board(NTSB) sent a team ofinvestigators to a mediancrossover crash in Davis,

Oklahoma, on Sept. 26, 2014, we didn’t knowthat the year-long investigation would bring usdown a completely new road: a road into theworld of synthetic drugs.

The crash involved a truck tractor in combinationwith an unloaded semitrailer. The 53-year-oldtruck driver had been on duty for about eighthours that day, delivering dairy products. Thetruck was traveling northbound in the left laneof Interstate 35 in a rural area of the ArbuckleMountains, about midway between OklahomaCity and Dallas-Fort Worth.

After negotiating a slight rightward curve, the truck departed the left lane, entering the100-foot-wide depressed earthen median at a shallow angle. The truck took no evasiveactions (e.g., corrective steering, braking) as it traveled more than 1,100 feet through themedian at a GPS-reported speed of 72-73 mph.

At the same time, a medium-size bustransporting members of the North CentralTexas College softball team driven by theircoach was traveling southbound on Interstate35. The errant truck entered the southboundlanes and collided with the left side of the bus.The bus rolled over and came to rest on its rightside, and the combination vehicle continued offthe roadway. Four passengers on the bus wereejected and killed. The remaining bus occupantssustained various injuries, some serious. Thetruck driver sustained minor injuries.

An inspection of the truck revealed no pre-existing defects, and the truck driver’s activityleading up to the crash indicated that he wasnot on his cell phone and not likely to befatigued. So why did he depart the travel lanesand cross the median? The NTSB teamed upwith the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to look foranswers. A few investigators headed south toTexas, where the truck driver resided, andbegan to uncover a history of illicit drug use.Meanwhile, investigators on-scene discovereda small silver smoking pipe in the cab of thetruck. The pieces of the puzzle continued tocome together as a previous employerstepped forward to report the truck driver’sprior drug use.

The substance in the pipe was tested anddetermined to be 5F-AMB, a syntheticcannabinoid. Synthetic cannabinoids arechemical compounds marketed as legalalternatives to marijuana. They areengineered to stimulate the same brainreceptors as marijuana, but are known tocause unpredictable and dangerous sideeffects. This family of compounds wasoriginally created to study brain receptors, but later exploited and abused as a drug thatcan evade traditional drug testing. In fact,synthetic cannabinoids challenge even themost complex drug-testing methods. Althoughthey only became generally available in theUnited States within the last 10 years, lawenforcement agencies have already identifiedover 170 different synthetic cannabinoids.Once identified and deemed illegal,manufacturers can modify the chemicalstructure and produce something new, makingthese drugs elusive targets.

We learned that the truck driver’s previousemployer had approached him about hisdeclining performance. The driver reportedthat he had personal problems and hadsmoked “K2,” a pseudonym for syntheticcannabinoids, to cope with stress. The driverdescribed the drug as “legal marijuana” andsaid it could not be detected by Departmentof Transportation drug tests. The companymanager, who was trained in reasonablesuspicion testing, evaluated the driver twice,but was unable to document behaviors thatwould call for such testing. Ultimately, thedriver sought other employment. The crashoccurred nine months later. (Notably, theformer employer updated the company’sdrug-testing policy to reserve the right to testfor synthetic drugs.)

We determined that the probable cause of theDavis, Oklahoma, crash was the failure of thetruck driver to control his vehicle due toincapacitation likely stemming from his use ofsynthetic cannabinoids. This crash highlightsthe challenges that employers and lawenforcement face in detecting driver use ofimpairing substances for which testing is notrequired. In the board meeting convened atthe conclusion of the investigation, NTSBChairman Christopher A. Hart stated, “Motorcarriers need to know about this emergingclass of drugs and they need better tools todetect driver impairment.”

Another all-too-common lesson learned fromthe Davis, Oklahoma, crash was theimportance of seat belt use. The bus carryingthe softball team was equipped with seatbelts, but none of the passengers werewearing them. The NTSB determined that thelack of seat belt use contributed to theseverity of the bus passengers’ injuries. Hadthe seat belts been worn, they would haveprevented ejections and reduced overallinjuries and likelihood of fatalities. “Bucklingup can save your life, whether you are in a car,a truck or riding in a bus,” Chairman Hart said.

As a result of this investigation, we issuedsafety recommendations addressing impairingsubstances that are not tested for underfederal regulations and called upon states to require seat belt use in all vehicle types.The full report, including a complete list offindings and safety recommendations, isavailable at www.ntsb.gov. n

New Drugs Bring Big ChallengesBy Jennifer L. Morrison, Investigator-in-Charge, National Transportation Safety Board

Image from the NTSB animation of the crashsequence, showing the vehicles just prior to impact,after the truck crossed the 100-foot median andentered the southbound lanes of Interstate 35.

Photo taken by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol,showing the silver smoking pipe that was located inthe cab of the truck after the crash.

The U.S. Department ofTransportation’s Federal MotorCarrier Safety Administration(FMCSA) launched its new safety-focused campaign, “Our Roads,

Our Responsibility,” to raise public awarenessabout how to operate safely aroundcommercial motor vehicles (CMVs).

“Trucks and buses move people and goodsaround the country, contributing to oureconomic well-being and our way of life,” saidU.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.“These commercial vehicles also carry additionalsafety risks, so it’s critical that all road usersunderstand how to safely share the road.”

Nearly 12 million CMVs are registered tooperate in the United States, and in 2014,drivers logged around 300 billion miles on thenation’s roads. Large trucks and buses havesignificant size and weight differences, largeblind spots, longer stopping distances, andlimited maneuverability, which presentserious safety challenges for bicyclists,pedestrians and drivers of passenger vehicles.

“Our Roads, Our Responsibility supports ouragency’s core mission of reducing crashes,injuries and fatalities involving commercialmotor vehicles on our roadways,” said FMCSAAdministrator Scott Darling. “Roadway safety

is a shared responsibility, and this initiativeencourages everyone who uses our roads tobe champions for safety. We look forward toworking with all our partners to raiseawareness around this issue.”

Under the Our Roads, Our Responsibilitycampaign, FMCSA suggests the following tipswhile sharing the road with CMVs:

• Stay out of the “no zones” or blind spotsaround the front, back and sides of thevehicle.

• Pass safely and make sure you can seethe driver in the mirror before passing.

• Don’t cut it close while merging in frontof a CMV.

• Anticipate wide turns and considerlarger vehicles may require extraturning room.

• Stay focused on the road around youand avoid distraction.

• Be patient driving around large trucksand buses.

Visit www.ShareTheRoadSafely.gov foradditional information, including safety tips,statistics, infographics and more. n

FMCSA Launches Public Safety Campaign to Raise Awareness about Sharing the Road withLarge Trucks and Buses

“Roadway safety is a shared responsibility, and this initiative encourages everyonewho uses our roads to be champions for safety.” – Scott Darling, FMCSA Administrator



GUARDIAN8


The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Leaseand Interchange of Vehicles; Motor Carriers of Passengers FinalRule, which is commonly known as the bus leasing andinterchange rule, was published on May 27, 2015. The final rulecreated new regulations, including marking requirements for

leased and interchanged passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles,and moved the location of the marking regulations for drive-awayservices and intermodal equipment.

As a result of these changes, some vehicle marking violations have beenerroneously cited in ASPEN.

For example, intermodal equipment marking violations have beenincorrectly cited for section 390.21(g) when the related regulations weremoved to section 390.21(h). The ASPEN software has been updated tofix the vehicle marking violations.

As always, please ensure your ASPEN software is up to date to ensurethe accuracy of the data in the system. In addition, FMCSA is correctingpreviously uploaded erroneous violations, so there is no need to correctand re-upload any inspections.

We also want to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on thestatus of the rulemaking. In the summer of 2015, the agency received 37 petitions for reconsideration of the final rule. In October 2015, we metwith some petitioners to gain additional clarity about their concerns.

Based on the information from the petitioners, FMCSA extended thecompliance date of the bus leasing and interchange rule to Jan. 1,2018, providing additional time for both FMCSA and the industry toconsider the impact of the rule.

On Aug. 31, 2016, FMCSA announced its intent to issue a rulemakingconcerning revisions to the May 27, 2015, final rule in the “FederalRegister.” n

News and Necessary Actions Related to the Bus Leasing andInterchange RuleBy Peter Chandler, Lead Transportation Specialist, Commercial PassengerCarrier Safety Division, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Federal MotorCarrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

On July 22, 2016, the Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA) published the final rule titled,“Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation;Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance; GeneralAmendments.”

This final rule eliminated the option for a motor carrier to satisfy theannual inspection requirement through a violation-free roadsideinspection. Therefore, a violation-free roadside inspection performed afterJuly 22, 2016, may not be used to satisfy the annual inspectionrequirements of 49 CFR § 396.17.

This amendment eliminates any uncertainties and makes clear that aroadside inspection is not equivalent to the periodic/annual inspectionrequired by 49 CFR § 396.17.

During vehicle inspections, investigations or safety audits, enforcementmay allow a motor carrier to use a violation-free federal or state roadsideinspection report only if it was performed within the previous 12 monthsand is dated prior to July 22, 2016, to meet the periodic inspectionrequirements of 49 CFR § 396.17.

The violation-free inspection, however, must meet the minimum standardscontained in Appendix G to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations(FMCSRs), as was required before this change.

As always, during roadside inspections, documentation of the periodicinspection must be maintained on the vehicle in accordance with 49 CFR § 396.17(c) and verified by inspectors.

The violation citation for failing to have evidence of the periodic inspectionon the vehicle continues to be:

• 49 CFR § 396.17(c) – Operating a CMV without proof of annualperiodic inspection

The full details of this requirement can be found in the July 22, 2016,“Federal Register” announcement athttps://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/rulemaking/2016-1736.

If you have questions concerning this information, contact BillMahorney at 202-493-0001 or [email protected]. n

Using Violation-Free Federal or StateRoadside Inspections to SatisfyAnnual Inspection RequirementsBy Bill Mahorney, Chief, Enforcement Division, Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration, U.S. Department of Transportation


The Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA) announcesthe institution of a new policy andprocedure for new entrant householdgoods movers brought about by the

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st CenturyAct (MAP-21), called the Consumer ProtectionStandards Review (CPSR).

The CPSR has been incorporated with thecurrent new entrant safety audit process andwill be conducted within 12 months after ahousehold goods (HHG) mover acquires itsoperating authority. This safety audit is toexamine the HHG mover’s basic management

controls and must be completed on-site at theHHG mover’s principal place of business.

The major goal of this CPSR will be to:

• Determine if the new entrant is fit,willing and able to comply with FMCSA’scommercial and safety regulations

• Detect if the new entrant engages indeceptive business practices

• Ensure the new entrant is notreincarnated

• Educate the new entrant with theapplicable consumer protection statutesand regulations

The review should also assist in reducing thenumber of consumer complaints filed againstnew household goods movers. This processwill educate HHG movers on the regulationsand statutes related to interstate moving aswell as alert them on the consequencesshould they operate in violation of theregulations.

If you need more information or have any questions regarding this policy, contact Transportation Specialist Lawrence Hawthorne at 609-613-2112 or [email protected]. n

FMCSA’s Consumer Protection Standards Review for New Household Goods MoversBy Lawrence Hawthorne III, Transportation Specialist, Commercial Enforcement and Investigations Division, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,U.S. Department of Transportation

The review will assist in reducing the number of consumer complaints filedagainst new household goods movers.



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In January 2016, the Federal Motor CarrierSafety Administration (FMCSA) launchedits risk-based prioritization approach tomore effectively prioritize motor carriersbased on crash risk.

As part of this effort, FMCSA created theActivity Center for Enforcement (ACE), a web-based tool to house the data analysis andinformation. This is a one-stop shop thatserves to help the enforcement communityimplement the new prioritization effectivelyand do their critical jobs more efficiently.

ACE allows the enforcement community, FMCSAfield staff and state partners to manage carrierprioritization, view and make assignments, andget reports regarding high-risk carrier status,national prioritization and carrier alerts. Thisenhances managers’ abilities to govern theprogram. ACE houses reports that allowmanagement and staff to better track high-riskcarrier investigations and outcomes and makeassignments across geographical boundaries,when appropriate.

For example, ACE provides the ability to searchfor all carriers in a particular state and not justthose on the prioritization list to dynamicallymanage assignments.

Since its introduction, ACE has grownexponentially to automate and display processespreviously available in different FMCSA datasystems, such as Query Central, Licensing andInsurance, the National Consumer ComplaintDatabase, the Safety Measurement System andothers. ACE also provides managers with criticalinformation about carriers that are out of servicebut show evidence of activity.

Quarterly, FMCSA is planning for additionalenhancements to ACE. One planned for 2017 isto introduce a “download all” button to enablesafety investigators to get all of the QueryCentral inspection reports without having todownload them individually.

ACE was designed as a prototype, allowing forcontinuous improvement to incorporatefeedback received from its various users. Todate, response to the prototype has beenoverwhelmingly positive and constructive.

To find out more about ACE and access othereducational materials:

1. Log into the Portal.

2. Select CSA Outreach.

3. Select “Resources” from the top menu on the ACE homepage.

4. Select “CSA Updates” from the drop-down, and you will see a list of resourcesrelated to the new prioritizationapproach and ACE reports.

Visit https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/CSA_feedback.aspx?defaulttag=ACE to use the ACE feedbackfeature and tell us how the new risk-basedprioritization approach and prototype system are working – including what you would like tosee added, changed or clarified.

Thank you for your commitment to improvingsafety on our nation’s roadways. FMCSA looksforward to your continued input andengagement as we work together in carrying outour important safety mission. n

Online Activity Center for Enforcement System Helps Enforcement Community Work Faster and SmarterBy Dave Yessen, Transportation Specialist, Compliance Division, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

“The new ACE system has improved our state’s ability toreview carriers’ interactionhistory with all commercialmotor vehicle safety entities inthe U.S. This helps ourorganization determine how bestto utilize limited investigationstaff resources. This one-stopshop has saved SIs investigatingcarriers and has also improvedthe carrier assignment process.”– Jeff Steeger, MCSAP Manager,

Montana Department of Transportation

“ACE allows me to quickly viewcarrier registration information,operating authority status, safetymeasurement system data androadside inspection reportswithout having to toggle betweendifferent systems. The designersof the ACE system clearly had thebest interests of DOTenforcement personnel in mindwhen building the program.”– Matthew J. Kiefer, Transportation

Enforcement Investigations Supervisor,Missouri Department of Transportation

C O V E R S T O R Y

On Sept. 18-22, 2016, CVSA held its 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Little Rock,Arkansas, home state of 2015-2016 CVSA President Maj. Jay

Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Police.

More than 650 governmentofficials, enforcement andindustry members attendedthe conference in support ofthe Alliance’s mission toimprove uniformity incommercial motor vehiclesafety and enforcementthroughout North America.This year’s annual conferencewas a record-breaking eventfor CVSA with a record highnumber of attendees,sponsors and exhibitors. Therewere 660 people registered forthe annual conference, 38sponsors and 40 exhibitors.

The general session, which kicked off theannual conference, included regulatoryupdates from the Canadian Council of MotorTransport Administrators/Compliance andRegulatory Affairs (CCMTA/CRA), theSecretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes(SCT) of Mexico, and the U.S. Department ofTransportation’s Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA). In addition, awardwinners were acknowledged for the North

American Inspectors Championship (NAIC),CVSA’s college scholarships, the InternationalDriver Excellence Award (IDEA), FMCSA’s MotorCarrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) andthe National Training Center’s (NTC) RoadsideInstructor of the Year.

International Driver ExcellenceAward winner Bob Wyatt ofSchneider received a standingovation from the nearly 600people in attendance at thegeneral session. He deliveredtouching remarks thankingSchneider, law enforcement,CVSA and most importantly,his wife, for her years ofsupport; acknowledging thatthe loved one who cares forthe homestead while thecommercial driver is on theroad for days or weeks at atime works just as hard and isjust as deserving of praise as

the professional driver.

In addition, Maj. Jay Thompson, as one of hislast duties as CVSA president, presented thecoveted CVSA President’s Award to FMCSAAssociate Administrator for Enforcement andProgram Delivery Bill Quade and to Lt. Col.Mark Savage of the Colorado State Patrol, whojust completed serving the final year of hispast-presidency.

Continued on next page


CVSA HAS RECORDHIGH ATTENDANCEAT ITS 2016 ANNUALCONFERENCE ANDEXHIBITION

More than 650 government officials,enforcement and industry membersattended this year's annual conference.

The 2016 annual conference was held inArkansas, the home state of 2015-2016CVSA President Maj. Jay Thompson.

CVSA presented its second annualInternational Driver Excellence Award(IDEA) winner, Bob Wyatt of Schneider,with his award at the annualconference general session.

C O V E R S T O R Y

The State of the AllianceThe general session also included apresentation on the State of the Alliance by CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney. He provided background on the development,approval, distribution and implementation ofthe Alliance’s new strategic plan, as well as thegoals and objectives.

During the State of the Alliance, Mooney notedthat another key step in the implementation ofthe strategic plan is to ensure the financialresources and budget are aligned with theAlliance’s renewed goals and objectives. As aresult, a CVSA staffing review was conducted toensure staff resources are correctly aligned.This included the immediate hiring of twoadditional employees – a director of Cooperative Hazardous MaterialsEnforcement Development (COHMED) programand a director of roadside enforcement andinspection program development.

Mooney also stated that it was determined thatit would be in the best interest of theorganization to operate all existing programsand activities of CVSA under a corporate form,instead of remaining an unincorporatedassociation. Consequently, the CommercialVehicle Safety Alliance was established as anonprofit corporation and all of CVSA's assetsand liabilities were transferred from theunincorporated association to the corporationon Oct. 1, 2016, and the unincorporatedassociation named the Commercial VehicleSafety Alliance has been dissolved. Movingforward, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Allianceas a nonprofit corporation will continue toremain a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. You can read more about this in the ExecutiveDirector’s Message on pages 2-3.

Aligning Committees with the New Strategic PlanTwo brand-new committees met for the firsttime at this year’s annual conference – theEnforcement and Industry ModernizationCommittee, and the Policy and RegulatoryAffairs Committee. The Enforcement andIndustry Modernization Committee will identifytechnological advancements that can beleveraged to improve commercial motor vehiclesafety by enhancing the performance, qualityand uniformity of commercial motor vehicleinspections and transforming enforcement-related activities. The Policy and RegulatoryAffairs Committee will develop the Alliance’spolicy positions and implementation strategiesfor the agency/department leaders responsiblefor the coordination and oversight ofcommercial motor vehicle safety andenforcement programs. The committee will also

serve as a forum for international regulatoryharmonization discussions.

Each CVSA committee was tasked withreviewing, evaluating and, if necessary,revising the committee’s purpose statementsand objectives during the annual conference to ensure they meet the new strategic goals and objectives.

All committee meetings are open to allmembers. CVSA members are invited toparticipate in and attend any of our committeemeetings at our conferences. If you’re unable to attend committee meetings in person, allagendas, minutes and important documents foreach committee are available to its members.We also offer a number of conference callsthroughout the year to discuss important issuesand keep committee members up to date oncommittee progress.

To view the full list of CVSA committees and tojoin a committee, check out the “Committees”section on our website, www.cvsa.org.

Information Session on ELD ImplementationAlso at this year’s conference, there was aninformation session on electronic loggingdevices (ELDs) implementation. Carriers anddrivers subject to Federal Motor Carrier SafetyRegulations (FMCSRs) who are using paper logsor logging software must transition to ELDs byDec. 17, 2017. Carriers and drivers usingautomatic onboard recording devices beforeDec. 18, 2017, may continue to do so throughDec. 16, 2019. With the deadlines fastapproaching, we thought it was timely andappropriate to proactively provide an ELDupdate to our membership and otherstakeholders.

During the ELD information session, attendeeswere provided with an inspector training andenforcement update; information on WebServices, eRODS and ELD self-certification; andan overview of Canadian ELD implementation.The information session included anopportunity for questions from the audienceand open discussion between audiencemembers and the panelists.

The ELD Implementation Update informationsession had four Q&A periods – one after eachspeaker’s presentation – to provide theopportunity for members of the audience to askquestions and receive answers directly fromrepresentatives from government agenciesrepresenting the United States and Canada. CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney servedas moderator and facilitated the questions from

Continued from page 11

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Maj. Jay Thompson presentedthe CVSA President’s Award to2012-2013 CVSA President Lt.Col. Mark Savage of theColorado State Patrol, who justcompleted serving the finalyear of his past-presidency.

Maj. Jay Thompson alsopresented the CVSA President’sAward to FMCSA AssociateAdministrator for Enforcementand Program Delivery Bill Quade.

C O V E R S T O R YMark Your CalendarThe 2017 CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition will takeplace on Sept. 17-21, 2017, in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.


the audience, which were received eitherverbally or via text. FMCSA AssociateAdministrator for Enforcement and ProgramDelivery Bill Quade provided an update oninspector training and enforcement policy.LaTonya Mimms, transportation specialist with FMCSA, gave an update on Web Services,eRODs and ELD Self-Certification and providedthe answers to FMCSA’s frequently askedquestions regarding ELD implementation. AndReg Wightman, director of Commercial VehicleSafety Permits with Manitoba Infrastructureand the current chair of the Compliance andRegulatory Affairs Committee with the CCMTA,provided an update on Canadian ELD progress.

There were questions from motor carriers,vendors and roadside enforcement officers.Questions were generally focused on thetransition to compliance, the ELD self-certification process and potential “gray areas”that could be troublesome in the field.

CVSA Transitions to NewLeadership for 2016-2017On Sept. 21, 2016, at the annual conference,CVSA transitioned to its new leadership teamfor the 2016-2017 term. Julius Debuschewitz ofYukon Highways and Public Works is the newpresident of the Alliance. Capt. ChristopherTurner of the Kansas Highway Patrol is CVSA’svice president. Capt. Scott Carnegie of theMississippi Highway Patrol was elected by themembership to the position of secretary. Maj.Jay Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Policeis now the Alliance’s immediate past-president.

CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz is managerof National Safety Code, Transport Services,Highways and Public Works, Government ofYukon, Canada. Debuschewitz has been in thetransportation field for 38 years and hasworked in commercial vehicle compliance forthe Transport Services Branch of YukonHighways and Public Works for the past 22years. He is a CVSA North American StandardLevel I Part A and B instructor and a passengervehicle (motor coach) instructor and serves onthe Canadian Education Quality AssuranceTeam (EQAT), of which he is a foundingmember. Debuschewitz was also the vice chairof CVSA’s North American InspectorsChampionship (NAIC).

CVSA Vice President Capt. Christopher Turnerhas served in law enforcement for 19 years andmanages the Kansas Highway Patrol’s MotorCarrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP),motor carrier inspectors fixed/mobile weightenforcement, reconstruction teams and thebreath alcohol/drug recognition programs forKansas. Capt. Turner has served as vice chair

of CVSA’s Program Initiatives Committee andvice chair of the Adjudicated Citations Ad HocCommittee. Capt. Turner has moderated severaltechnology forums for CVSA, such as the forumon connected vehicles, and served as a regionmember of the American Association of MotorVehicle Administrators’ (AAMVA) LawEnforcement Standing Committee and theFMCSA Performance Standards, Measurementsand Benchmarks Working Group.

CVSA Secretary Capt. Scott Carnegie has beenwith the Mississippi Highway Patrol for 23years and is currently the director of the MotorCarrier Division. He leads multiple aspects ofMississippi’s commercial vehicle enforcementand operations programs which include:commercial driver’s license, informationtechnology, compliance investigations, safetyaudits, outreach and enforcement operations.Capt. Carnegie also served as the CVSA RegionII vice president on the CVSA ExecutiveCommittee. He served on a CVSA ad hoccommittee on training-related issues andactively participated in strategic planning forthe future of the Alliance.

Other Leadership ChangesRoss Batson with the Arkansas Highway Policeis the new Region II president, with Lt. AllenEngland of the Tennessee Highway Patrolserving as the Region II vice president. RichardRoberts of the British Columbia Ministry ofTransportation and Infrastructure will serve asRegion V vice president. Ofc. Wes Bement ofthe Grand Prairie Texas Police Department wasre-elected as the president and Ofc. Jason Belzof the Arlington Police Department in Texaswas elected vice president for local members.Jason Wing of Walmart Transportation Inc. wasre-elected as president of the associatemembers and Dave Schofield of OldcastleMaterials was selected as vice president.

The new Size and Weight Committee chair is F/Sgt. Kenneth Snead with the NorthCarolina State Highway Patrol and the Vehicle Committee will be chaired by Tpr. JohnSova with the North Dakota Highway Patrol.The Enforcement and Industry ModernizationCommittee will be chaired by Maj. Derek Barrsof the Florida Highway Patrol. The chair of thePolicy and Regulatory Affairs Committee isAlan Martin with the Public UtilitiesCommission of Ohio. n

Capt. Scott Carnegie of theMississippi Highway Patrol waselected by the membership tothe position of secretary.

From left to right: The 2016-2017 CVSA executiveleadership consists of CVSA Secretary Capt. ScottCarnegie, CVSA Vice President Capt. ChristopherTurner and CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz.

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C V S A C O M M I T T E E A N D P R O GR A M N E W S

Commercial motor vehicle inspectorsthroughout North Americaconducted driver and vehicle safetyinspections on large trucks andbuses during CVSA’s 29th annual

International Roadcheck, June 7-9, 2016.

International Roadcheck is a three-day eventwhen CVSA-certified inspectors conductcompliance, enforcement and educationalinitiatives targeted at various elements of motorcarrier, vehicle and driver safety. InternationalRoadcheck is the largest targeted enforcementprogram on commercial motor vehicles in theworld, with around 15 trucks or buses inspected,on average, every minute across North Americaduring a 72-hour period.

A total of 62,796 inspections were conductedduring this year’s International Roadcheckenforcement campaign, of which 42,236 were

Level I Inspections, the most comprehensivevehicle inspection level. Of Level I Inspections,21.5 percent of vehicles and 3.4 percent ofdrivers were placed out of service due to criticalitem violations. Of vehicles placed out ofservice, brake-adjustment and brake-systemviolations combined to represent 45.7 percentof out-of-service vehicle violations. The topdriver out-of-service violations were for hours ofservice and false logs, representing 46.8 percentand 16.4 percent, respectively, of all out-of-service driver violations.

Each year, International Roadcheck placesspecial emphasis on a category of violations.The focus for 2016 International Roadcheck wastire safety. This year, tire/wheel violationsaccounted for 18.5 percent of the totalpercentage of out-of-service violations. In theU.S., tire violations represented 13.7 percent ofout-of-service vehicle violations. Checking a

vehicle’s tires is always part of roadsideinspections; however, this year, CVSA chose tohighlight tire safety as a reminder to drivers andcarriers of the importance of proper tire use andmaintenance. As part of the inspection process,inspectors measured tire tread depth, checkedthe tire pressure, checked to ensure no solidobjects were lodged between dual tires andexamined the overall condition of the tire tomake sure no deep cuts or bulges were foundon tire tread or sidewalls.

“CVSA’s annual 72-hour International Roadcheckinitiative highlights the commitment of ourinspectors who work hard every day to ensureunsafe vehicles and drivers are removed fromour roadways,” said CVSA Executive DirectorCollin Mooney. “It’s also an opportunity for ourinspectors to inspect, acknowledge anddocument the safe, fit and compliantcommercial motor vehicles traveling our

CVSA Releases 2016 International Roadcheck Results


roadways by placing a CVSA decal on thevehicle, indicating that a particular vehicle haspassed CVSA’s rigorous inspection standards.”

Most inspections conducted duringInternational Roadcheck are Level I Inspections.A Level I Inspection is a 37-step procedure thatinvolves an examination of both the driver’srecord of duty status and the safety of thevehicle. Drivers are required to provide itemssuch as their license, endorsements, medicalcard and hours-of-service documentation, andare checked for seat belt usage and the possibleuse of alcohol and/or drugs. The vehicleinspection includes checking items such as thebrake systems, cargo securement, couplingdevices, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems,lighting devices, steering mechanisms,suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailerbodies, wheel assemblies, windshield wipers,emergency exits, electrical cables and systems

in engine and battery compartments, and looseor temporary seating on buses. Otherinspections conducted included Level II walk-around, Level III driver-only and Level Vvehicle-only inspections.

“International Roadcheck is an annual reminderof the diligence and dedication of lawenforcement officials and commercial motorvehicle safety professionals,” said FMCSAAdministrator T.F. Scott Darling III. “While theirtireless efforts every day greatly increase thelevel of safety on our roadways, it is criticallyimportant that everyone do their part topromote a national culture of roadway safety."

Since its inception in 1988, InternationalRoadcheck inspections have numbered morethan 1.5 million. International Roadcheck issponsored by CVSA, North America’s leadingcommercial motor vehicle safety enforcement

organization, with participation by the FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration, CanadianCouncil of Motor Transport Administrators andthe Secretariat of Communications andTransportation in Mexico.

Visit www.roadcheck.org to learn more aboutInternational Roadcheck. n

Top OOS Violation Categories Percentage of OOS Violations

VEHICLES 2016 2015 2014

Brake Adjustment 18.3% 15.5% 16.7%

Brake System 27.4% 27.5% 29.5%

Cargo Securement 6.1% 15.3% 11.5.%

Coupling Devices 0.7% 0.7% 0.9%

Driveline/Driveshaft 1.0% 0.6% n/a1

Exhaust Systems 0.2% 0.3% 0.3%

Frames 1.2% 1.1% 1.3%

Fuel Systems 0.3% 0.5% 0.4%

Lighting Devices 11.7% 12.7% 13.5%

Steering Mechanisms 2.6% 2.0% 2.4%

Suspensions 4.4% 2.1% 5.2%

Tires/Wheels 18.5% 13.9% 13.8.%

DRIVERS 2016 2015 2014

Driver’s Age 0.0% 0.0% 2.1%

Disqualified Driver 6.2% 7.6% 12.7%

Improper Endorsement 7.7% n/a1 4.3%

Drugs/Alcohol 1.0% 2.1% 1.1%

Hours of Service 46.8% 46.0% 46.5%

False Log Book 16.4% 12.6% 13.7%

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2016 2015 2014

Shipping Papers 27.6% 27.5% 21.1%

Placarding See Note 2 23.9% 20.8%

Bulk Packages n/a1 n/a1 6.3%

Transport Vehicle Markings See Note 2 3.2% 6.6%

Non-bulk Packaging 2.8% 2.3% 11.9%

Loading and Securement 26.3% 27.9% 32.0%

1 Violation data for these categories were unavailable for year shown. 2 Note: Placard violations and marking violations were combined in our 2016 analysis, representing 33.8% of HM OOS violations.


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Forty-eight roadside inspectorsrepresenting jurisdictions across NorthAmerica gathered in Indianapolis,Indiana, Aug. 8-12, 2016, to compete inCVSA's 24th annual North American

Inspectors Championship (NAIC), the only eventdedicated to testing, recognizing and awardingcommercial motor vehicle inspector excellence.

Each year, CVSA recognizes the best of thebest by inviting the top inspector from eachjurisdiction throughout North America toparticipate in NAIC. In addition to thecompetitive events, each inspector receivestraining on the latest safety information,technology, standards and inspectionprocedures.

All of the inspection categories are timed eventsand the compilation of scores for thesecategories result in a Grand Champion. TheJimmy K. Ammons Grand Champion Award isthe highest NAIC honor for roadside inspectors.

This year, the Grand Champion Award wasawarded to Daniel Voelker of the Arizona

Department of Public Safety for his combinedperformances in six competition elements:

• North American Standard Level I Inspection

• North American Standard Level I InspectionProcedure

• North American Standard Hazmat/Transportation of Dangerous GoodsInspection

• North American Standard Cargo Tank/OtherBulk Packagings Inspection

• North American Standard Level V PassengerVehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection

• North American Standard Out-of-ServiceCriteria Exam

A special award, the John Youngblood Award ofExcellence, is an honor NAIC contestantsbestow upon a fellow NAIC inspector whoexemplifies high standards and an unwaveringdedication to the profession. This year, NAICcontestants voted to present the JohnYoungblood Award to Nicholas Wright of theKansas Highway Patrol.

Awards are given for first, second and thirdplace for selected inspection events.

North American Standard Level I Inspection:

• First Place – Daniel Voelker, ArizonaDepartment of Public Safety

• Second Place – James Hamrick, ArkansasHighway Police

• Third Place – Jeremy Usener, TexasDepartment of Public Safety

North American Standard HazardousMaterials/Transportation of Dangerous Goodsand Cargo Tank/Bulk Packagings Inspection:

• First Place – Benjamin Schropfer, NebraskaState Patrol

• Second Place – Daniel Voelker, ArizonaDepartment of Public Safety

• Third Place – Nicholas Wright, KansasHighway Patrol

Arizona's Daniel Voelker is CVSA's 2016 North AmericanInspectors Championship Grand Champion

Daniel Voelker of the Arizona Department of PublicSafety is the 2016 NAIC Grand Champion.

Each NAIC contestant receives training on the latest safety technology, standards and inspection procedures.



North American Standard Level V PassengerVehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection:

• First Place – John Werner, CaliforniaHighway Patrol

• Second Place – Trevor Todd, BritishColumbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

• Third Place – Jeremy Usener, TexasDepartment of Public Safety

Team Award – Red Team:

• Trevor Todd, British Columbia

• John Werner, California

• Travis Randolph, Colorado

• Nicholas Wright, Kansas

• Daniel Krueger, North Dakota

• Thomas Winton, Oklahoma

• Charles Shaver, Tennessee

• Team Leader: Brent Alspash, Indiana State Police

Also, an award is given to each inspector whoscores the most points representing each ofthe three participating countries: Canada, theUnited States and Mexico.

The following awards were presented duringthis year’s NAIC:

• High Points: United States – Daniel Voelker,Arizona Department of Public Safety

• High Points: Canada – Trevor Todd, BritishColumbia Ministry of Transportation andInfrastructure

• High Points: Mexico – Antonio LópezNava, Secretaría de Comunicaciones yTransportes (SCT)

“The best inspectors throughout NorthAmerica aspire to compete at NAIC. Many of thecompetitors here this week are winners of theirjurisdiction’s inspectors championship or wereselected to compete at NAIC as esteemedrepresentatives from their agency,” said CVSAPresident Maj. Jay Thompson with the ArkansasHighway Police. “However, it’s important tonote that NAIC is much more than a

competition. It’s an opportunity for training,education and professional growth, and itfosters camaraderie and cooperation amonginspectors, jurisdictions and countries.”

“Roadside inspectors across North Americaplay a vital safety role each and every day,”said FMCSA Administrator Scott Darling.“These dedicated men and women each yearperform more than 3.5 million truck and businspections, which prevent 14,000 crashes,save hundreds of lives and eliminatethousands of needless injuries. FMCSAapplauds the vital safety partnership of allCVSA-member inspectors.”

Roadside inspectors are highly trainedprofessionals who save lives every day byremoving unsafe commercial motor vehiclesand drivers off our roads. The work of acommercial motor vehicle inspector is noteasy, but it is vital in ensuring public safety onNorth American roadways. NAIC was createdto recognize the hard work and expertise of


ABOVE: Forty-eight inspectors competed at the 24th annual North American Inspectors Championship inIndianapolis, Indiana. RIGHT: The members of the teams worked together at the Hazmat Olympics.


GUARDIAN18

inspectors and officers – the backbone of thecommercial motor vehicle safety program inNorth America – and promote uniformity ofinspections through training and education.

NAIC is sponsored by CVSA and many of itsvalued associate members. For the past 24years, the championship event has been heldin partnership with the American TruckingAssociations’ (ATA) National Truck DrivingChampionships (NTDC). NAIC has beenrecognized by the American Society ofAssociation Executives (ASAE) as an event that “Advances America.”

Mark your calendar: Next year’s NAIC will take place in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 7-11, 2017.

To learn more about NAIC, visitwww.cvsa.org/eventpage/events/north-american-inspectors-championship. n

Thank you to the sponsors, judges and volunteers who helped make 2016 NAIC such a huge success.

The North American Standard Level V PassengerVehicle (Motorcoach) Inspection Award winners.

The North American Standard Hazardous Materials/Transportation of Dangerous Goods and CargoTank/Bulk Packagings Inspection Award winners.

The winners of the North American Standard Level IInspection Awards.

The country High Points Award winners.


Nicholas Wright of the Kansas Highway Patrol wasnominated by his peers to be the John YoungbloodAward of Excellence winner.

The Red Team was the highest scoring team. Thank you to the volunteer FedEx drivers for theirparticipation in 2016 NAIC.



91.5%

6.1% of 3,547 trailers inspected were not air braked, and therefore not subject to ABS requirementsREQUIRED ABS

AIR-BRAKED TRUCKS (INCLUDING AND TRACTORS)

85.5% 19.8%OF 3,329 AIR-BRAKEDTRAILERS INSPECTED

REQUIRED ABS

OF 2,847 TRAILERSREQUIRING ABS

EXHIBITEDABS

VIOLATIONS87.2%HYDRAULIC-BRAKED TRUCKS

55BUSES & MOTORCOACHESNone had ABS-related violations

{ } ABSVIOLATIONS

9.6% OF 4,751 ABS-REQUIRED, AIR-BRAKED TRUCKS

AND

HAD

9.8% OF 650 ABS-REQUIRED, HYDRAULIC-BRAKED TRUCKS

CVSA held its annual, unannouncedBrake Check Day on May 4, 2016, as part of its Operation Airbrakeprogram. CVSA-certified inspectorsin 31 participating U.S. states and

Canadian provinces and territories checkedbrakes on 6,128 commercial motor vehicles.

• 12.4 percent of vehicles were placed out of service with brake violations.

• 13.9 percent of vehicles were placed out of service for violations other thanbrake violations.

Brake-related violations are typically thelargest category of out-of-service items(representing 45.7 percent during OperationAirbrake’s companion International Roadcheckcampaign). Improperly installed or poorlymaintained brake systems can reduce thebraking capacity and increase stoppingdistances of trucks and buses, which poses aserious risk to driver and public safety.

Most participating jurisdictions also reportedthe number of trucks with anti-lock brakingsystems (ABS) as well as ABS violationsobserved (out of 5,991 inspections). Ourmembers found that most vehicles wereequipped with ABS but some exhibited faultcodes (lamp stayed on) or non-functioningABS lamps. Trailers requiring ABS were twiceas likely to exhibit ABS violations as straighttrucks or tractors requiring ABS.

• 91.5 percent (4,751) of 5,191 air-brakedtrucks (including tractors) inspected and87.2 percent (650) of 745 hydraulic-brakedtrucks inspected required ABS based ontheir date of manufacture.

• 85.5 percent (2,847) of 3,329 air-brakedtrailers inspected required ABS based ontheir date of manufacture.

• 9.6 percent (456) of 4,751 ABS-required,air-braked trucks and 9.8 percent (64) of

650 ABS-required, hydraulic-braked truckshad ABS violations.

• 19.8 percent (563) of 2,847 trailersrequiring ABS exhibited ABS violations.

• A small number of buses andmotorcoaches (55) were inspected duringthis event. All but three were ABSequipped and none had ABS-relatedviolations.

• 6.1 percent (218) of 3,547 trailers inspectedwere not air braked (electric, surge orother) and therefore not subject to ABSrequirements.

Anti-lock braking systems help vehicles remainin control in most cases where there is thepossibility of wheel slip when braking. ABSreduces the chance of jackknifing and increasescontrol in braking situations. ABS also providesa platform for stability control systems that helpprevent loss of control or rollover crashes.Furthermore, newly available and future safetysystems all rely on functional brakes, tires andABS. Just as foundation brakes must be wellmaintained and tires must be properly inflated,ABS and safety systems that rely on ABS cannothelp keep the vehicle in control, or help toprevent crashes, when they are disconnected orpoorly maintained.

Operation Airbrake is a CVSA programdedicated to improving commercial motorvehicle safety through brake-system safety,awareness and compliance throughout NorthAmerica. The campaign’s aim is to helpeducate drivers and technicians, encourageregulatory compliance and enforce theregulations designed to ensure safe vehicleoperation.

To learn more about Operation Airbrake, visit www.operationairbrake.com. n

Approximately 12 Percent of Vehicles Placed Out of Service with Brake Violations During CVSA's Unannounced Brake Check Day

Improperly installed or poorly maintainedbrake systems canreduce the brakingcapacity and increasestopping distances oftrucks and buses,which poses a seriousrisk to driver andpublic safety.


On Oct. 5, 2016, CVSA DeputyExecutive Director AdrienneGildea participated in a coalitionconference aimed at identifyingcountermeasures and behavior-

change strategies to meet the nationwide goalof zero traffic fatalities.

The U.S. Department of Transportation'sNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration,Federal Highway Administration and FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration joinedforces with the National Safety Council (NSC)to launch the Road to Zero Coalition with thegoal of ending fatalities on the nation's roadswithin the next 30 years. The Department ofTransportation and NSC have both committed$1 million a year for the next three years toprovide grants to organizations working onlifesaving programs.

Gildea represented the Alliance during a panelpresentation and discussion at the day-longconference titled “Using What We Know:Urgency for Focus and Coordination.” Gildeahad this to say during her remarks: “Ourmission is to reduce crashes related tocommercial motor vehicles by takingdangerous vehicles and drivers off theroadways and making sure only safecompanies are allowed to operate.” The Roadto Zero Coalition’s goal to not only reduce thenumber of fatalities but eliminate themaltogether is in line with CVSA’s goal of havingthe safest commercial motor vehicles drivenby the safest professional drivers on ourroadways.

"Our vision is simple – zero fatalities on ourroads," said U.S. Transportation SecretaryAnthony Foxx. "We know that setting the barfor safety to the highest possible standardrequires commitment from everyone to thinkdifferently about safety – from drivers toindustry, safety organizations and governmentat all levels."

The year 2015 marked the largest increase in traffic deaths since 1966 and preliminaryestimates for the first half of 2016 show anuptick in fatalities – an increase of about 10.4percent as compared to the number offatalities in the first half of 2015.

The Road to Zero Coalition will initially focuson promoting proven lifesaving strategies,such as improving seat belt use, installingrumble strips, truck safety, behavior-changecampaigns and data-driven enforcement.Additionally, the coalition will then lead thedevelopment of a new scenario-based visionon how to achieve zero traffic deaths based on evidence-based strategies and a systemicapproach to eliminating risks.

“As the organization representing theapproximately 13,000 local, state, provincial,territorial and federal inspectors who conductsafety inspections on large trucks and buses,the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance isproud to support this initiative,” said Gildea.“Working together with this coalition ofesteemed agencies and organizationscommitted to the goal of zero traffic fatalities,we, at CVSA, believe that this lofty andoptimistic goal is absolutely attainable and wewill do everything we can to achieve thatgoal.”

The Road to Zero Coalition will work toaccelerate the achievement of its vision throughconcurrent efforts that focus on overall systemdesign, addressing infrastructure design, vehicletechnology, enforcement and behavior safety.An important principle of the effort will be tofind ways to ensure that inevitable humanmistakes do not result in fatalities.

The "zero deaths" idea was first adopted inSweden in 1997 as "Vision Zero" and since thenhas evolved across the country and across theworld. A growing number of states and citieshave adopted "Zero" fatality visions. n

CVSA Supports ‘Road to Zero’ Partnership Aimed atEnding Traffic Fatalities Within the Next 30 Years

PHMSA AwardsCommunity Safety Grant to CVSA

The U.S. Department ofTransportation’s Pipeline andHazardous Materials SafetyAdministration (PHMSA) awarded$563,125 to CVSA as part of its new

Community Safety Grant Program to improvethe nation’s response to hazardous materialstransportation incidents.

The new grant program provides funding toconduct national outreach and trainingprograms to assist communities to enforcehazardous materials regulations, and preparefor and respond to incidents involving thetransportation of hazardous materials.

PHMSA conducted a review of the trainingneeds of the nation’s state and local personnelresponsible for dealing with hazardousmaterials transportation related events andidentified a gap in training for personnelresponsible for enforcement. This grant awardwill focus specifically on the training of stateand local personnel responsible for enforcingthe transportation of hazardous materials.

PHMSA’s grant programs continue to providestates and communities with the resourcesnecessary to identify and fulfill hazardousmaterials training needs for personnelresponsible for dealing with hazardousmaterials transportation activities.

For more information about PHMSA’s grants for hazardous materials safety, visit www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/grants-program. n

GUARDIAN20

R E G I O N A L N E W S

Connecticut Trains Its Officers on Heavy Vehicle Inspections and Improves Data CollectionBy Kevin R. Slater, Crash Data Liaison, Transportation Safety Research Center, University of Connecticut

REGION I

In 2015, Connecticut updated a 20-year-oldcrash reporting system and moved to afully electronic system that captures andtransmits data directly to the ConnecticutDepartment of Transportation (CTDOT). In

doing so, Connecticut vastly improved theamount, timeliness and accuracy of the formsreceived. Most areas of crash data reportingbegan to improve; however, heavy- and large-vehicle information was not being captured andtransmitted efficiently. Eventually, Connecticutwas listed as “poor” and considered a “red”state, meaning the state rating was below theFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s(FMCSA) acceptable level.

Part of the problem was the fact that thepolice officers collecting the information hadnot received detailed training involving heavy-vehicle crashes. In fact, most officers who havenot been trained are somewhat intimidated bylarger vehicles and are not aware of theinformation that must be obtained. This, alongwith the collection of more crashes, providedinsight to data issues. The correct informationwas not being captured and all of the data wasstill getting pushed to the other safetypartners for upload purposes to FMCSA,resulting in deficient information and,ultimately, the ratings declined.

The University of Connecticut’s TransportationSafety Research Center (CTSRC), collaboratingwith the CTDOT and FMCSA, was able toobtain a grant to improve police officertraining in the area of data collection andfamiliarity with heavy vehicles. The grant wasawarded in the fall of 2015 and work started

immediately to develop a training course to beready for the spring of 2016. We reviewed thecurrent trends and discussed options toimprove our state’s situation. David Hetzel ofthe National Institute for Safety Research Inc.(NISR), who has a great amount of experienceassisting other states with their deficiencies,assisted in the development of the trainingprogram. The goal of the program was toimprove officers’ knowledge and ability todocument the correct information.

We also worked with the ConnecticutDepartment of Motor Vehicles (DMV)Commercial Safety Division, which is theMCSAP coordinating agency in Connecticut,to ensure the correct information is capturedand sent from the CTDOT after police reportsare transmitted to that agency. John Hornetfrom Connecticut DMV and Mike Gracer, whomanages the information technology for theCTDOT crash section, also refined the data that was getting to the DMV and ensured thatit was processed quickly at the CTDOT, whichstarted to improve the timeliness of the crashdata for FMCSA.

As a retired police officer and certifiedcommercial motor vehicle inspector, and with my collision reconstruction experience, I joined the CTSRC as a crash data liaison. Iworked with Mr. Hetzel to prepare a trainingpresentation for the officers. Excessivetechnical information was removed from thetraining presentation, ensuring the correctelements were highlighted and properly

Region IConnecticut, Delaware, District ofColumbia, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania,Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, US Virgin Islands and Vermont

Region IIAlabama, American Samoa, Arkansas,Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia

Region IIIColorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin

Region IVAlaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Mexico, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,Washington and Wyoming

Region VAlberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland andLabrador, Nova Scotia, NorthwestTerritories, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon

REGIONAL MAP



taught. Once the training presentation wasfinalized, it was presented to state and localpolice trainers.

UCONN staff also received a shipment of visor cards printed by FMCSA. Each cardcontained specific guidelines to assist officers in several areas, such as qualifying crashes,obtaining carrier information for the vehicle,hazardous materials and vehicle specifications.The guidelines help direct officers when theyinvestigate a crash. These cards were usedthroughout the training and each officerattending was issued a full set of visor cards.The cards were also given to the agencies todistribute to officers who did not attend thetraining.

Training started in April, as soon as theweather could accommodate being outside, as there was a hands-on portion of thepresentation. After three hours of classroominstruction, officers were able to interact witha heavy vehicle and its driver. The ConnecticutDMV Commercial Safety Division’s Lt. Donald

Bridge was instrumental in assisting us inlocating a demonstration vehicle utilized at allof the training sessions, as well as acommercial motor vehicle inspector to assistUCONN staff with the hands-on portion of theclass.

The classroom consisted of a three-partPowerPoint presentation, which focused ontopics such as identifying a qualifyingcommercial motor vehicle crash according toFMCSA and how a city- or state-owned largevehicle is classified. The Connecticut Crash Formwas used as the basis for most of the training,so the officers were learning how to properlyclassify the vehicles and ensure the informationwas documented accurately.

The officers then interacted with a vehicle anda driver from whom they could ask questionsand collect information while being advised ofthe things that they should look for and wherecertain information is usually stored withinthe cab of the vehicle. The officers were ableto interact with the driver in a controlled

environment, leading to better communicationand removing some fears associated with thistype of interaction.

Training continued throughout the spring andsummer. Recent trends have shown thatConnecticut has improved back to the “good”category (green rating), with the lowest ratingbeing crash timeliness. However, this metric isa rolling average of the last 12 months andtakes time to correct. Connecticut is currentlytrending upward at 68 percent.

The officers seemed to respond to the trainingand came away with information that isimportant in compiling their reports. Theimprovement in the rating was due to thehard work of the officers in the field and thecollaboration of all of the safety partnersinvolved which included FMCSA, CTDOT,Connecticut DMV Commercial Safety Division,UCONN and private industry, which providedthe trucks and drivers for the training. n

GUARDIAN22



REGION I



Maryland Department of State Police Conducts Enforcement and Inspection Initiatives in OctoberBy Maj. N.W. Dofflemyer, Special Operations Command, Maryland Department of State Police

CVSA is always looking forinteresting, relevant content forits quarterly magazine. We would behappy to consider your news, ideas,insights and articles on the issuesfacing the commercial motor vehicle safety community for upcoming editionsof “Guardian.”

Deadlines for Article Submissions:Q2 2017 — March 7, 2017Q3 2017 — June 6, 2017Q4 2017 — Sept. 5, 2017

Questions?Contact CVSA at 301-830-6152 [email protected].

CALL FOR GUARDIANSUBMISSIONS

REGION I

On Oct. 11-13, 2016, the WestFriendship Weigh and InspectionFacility’s personnel conducted acommercial motor vehicle (CMV)enforcement and inspection

initiative on and around Maryland Route 140in Carroll County.

The initiative deployed roving crews based on citizen complaints about unsafe truckoperations and the facility’s ongoing analysis of serious CMV traffic safety violations.Troopers and cadets conducted CMVinspections while aggressively enforcing allcriminal and vehicle laws. The Route 140initiative results were:

Maryland Route 140 (Carroll County) Initiative

CMV Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Vehicle and Driver Out-Of-Service Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 (39%)

Safety Repair (SERO) . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Total Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Total CMV Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Total Non-CMV Citations . . . . . . . . . 4

On Oct. 10-15, 2016, the Upper Marlboro, Parkand Ride, and Hyattstown facilities conductedan “Inside the Beltway Sweep Initiative” of CMVinspections and enforcement inside the CapitalBeltway (Interstate 495) in Prince George'sCounty.

The initiative was based on increased citizencomplainants about unsafe CMV operations andon data from previous CMV violations inside theBeltway. The Commercial Vehicle EnforcementDivision personnel were augmented by certifiedCMV inspectors from the Prince George'sCounty and Greenbelt police departments. Theinitiative’s daily operations focused on specificareas between the Capital Beltway and theWashington, D.C., line. The enforcement teamsworked from northern Prince George’s Countyto the southern end of the county. The resultswere as follows:

Inside the Beltway SweepInitiative Statistics

Total Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

Level I Inspections . . . . . . . . . . 36

Level II Inspections . . . . . . . . 284

Total Out-of-Service Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 (36%)

Total Out-of-Service Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 (8%)

Overweights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 (Off Loads 7)

SERO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Warrant Arrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Total Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Total Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 n

Multi-State, Multi-Highway,High-Visibility PatrolsMaryland, Virginia, North Carolina, SouthCarolina, Georgia and Florida teamed up toprovide high-visibility patrol and educationalong the I-95, I-75, I-26 and I-10 corridorsduring the three-day period of June 28-30,2016.

The combined efforts of these states resulted in4,890 commercial motor vehicle inspections,resulting in 713 vehicles and 371 drivers beingplaced out of service. During the wave, threecommercial motor vehicle drivers were arrestedfor driving under the influence (DUI), with

another 263 citations issued to commercialmotor vehicle drivers for moving infractions.

Additionally, one driver of a passenger vehicle was arrested for DUI, with another 331 citations issued to drivers of passengervehicles for moving infractions.

Although the event was successful in limitingcommercial motor vehicle traffic crashes to areported 24, there was one commercial motorvehicle fatality. Our goal during these high-visibility enforcement and educational wavesis to prevent crashes and the resultingfatalities and injuries.

Educating Our Youth on Personal SafetyThe Florida Highway Patrol recognizes theneed to educate our public and particularlyour youth on safety and security. On April 7,2016, M/Sgt. Tim May read a book anddiscussed personal safety with a class of firstgraders in Lee County, Florida.

Educating Motor Carriers onResponsibility and Best PracticesIn 2015, the Florida Highway Patrol recognizedthe need to educate motor carriers thattypically don’t request outreach fromenforcement. Subsequently, the FloridaHighway Patrol organized a plan to provideeducation to motor carriers throughout thestate on a quarterly basis. The picture fromour June 28, 2016, Quarterly Outreach in FortMyers, Florida, depicts a group of multiplemotor carrier representatives who attendedthe outreach to educate themselves on motorcarrier responsibilities and operational bestpractices. n


Florida Highway Patrol’s Inspection and Educational InitiativesBy Chief Troy L. Thompson, Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol

REGION II

CMV Driver Traffic Enforcement Violations Warnings Citations

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol 1 3

Reckless Driving 2 1

Inattentive and/or Careless Driving 4 0

Unlawful Speed 209 96

Following Too Close 11 6

Improper Lane Change, Turn or Passing 16 16

Violation of the Move Over Act 1 1

Distracted Driving – Texting, Mobile Phone, etc. 34 35

Failing to Use a Safety Belt/Child Restraint 62 188

Violation of Railroad Grade Crossing Laws 0 1

Other Moving Infractions 414 243

Other Non-Moving Infractions 2,924 569

Violation of Vehicle/Cargo Size Laws (Dimensions) 146 73

Violation of Vehicle Weight Laws 14 202

TOTAL 3,838 1,434

Non-CMV Driver Traffic Enforcement Violations Warnings Citations

Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol 0 2

Reckless Driving 0 12

Inattentive and/or Careless Driving 0 9

Unlawful Speed 101 205

Following Too Close 3 0

Improper Lane Change, Turn or Passing 7 6

Violation of the Move Over Act 3 13

Distracted Driving – Texting, Mobile Phone, etc. 11 7

Failing to Use a Safety Belt/Child Restraint 7 24

Violation of Railroad Grade Crossing Laws 0 0

Other Moving Infractions 40 86

Other Non-Moving Infractions 206 112

TOTAL 378 476

GUARDIAN24

On March 17, 2015, a triple fatalitycrash involving a sugarcanehauler towing a trailer occurredon U.S. 27 in South Bay/westernPalm Beach County. The crash

was caused by a mud-clogged fifth wheel onthe carrier’s truck tractor.

A compliance investigation was conducted onthe carrier and it was discovered that the motorcarrier had no idea of his responsibilities as amotor carrier and thought he was exempt fromregulations because he hauls agriculture.Through the tragedy of the crash, it becameclear that there was a need to educate thecarriers utilizing the Florida agricultureexemptions.

Florida’s agriculture exemptions can beconfusing. Since Florida law exempts motorcarriers that haul agriculture exclusively from first point of harvest to first point ofprocessing or from first point of harvest tofirst point of market from having to obtain aUSDOT number, many of these carriers neverget exposed to the Florida Highway Patrol’swebsite or seminars, or FMCSA regulations.

Through perseverance and dedication, theFlorida Highway Patrol was able to put on aspecial seminar for independent intrastatesugarcane haulers. Florida Highway Patrol was able to combine portions of a previouslytranslated (in the Cuban dialect) New EntrantSeminar with the English version to create ahalf English and half Spanish/Cuban version ofthe new Florida Intrastate Agriculture MotorCarrier Seminar.

On Sept. 21, 2016, Tpr. Kelie Cichoski, Tpr.Carlos Gonzales and Tpr. Pelayo Llabre had the privilege of educating 156 drivers frommore than 50 independent companies onFlorida agriculture exemptions. The carrierswere provided with printed handouts of thepresentation and email addresses werecollected for individuals interested inreceiving the list of helpful links shared during safety audits, compliance reviews and new entrant seminars.

This event provided a positive educationalopportunity and interaction between theFlorida Highway Patrol’s Bureau ofCommercial Vehicle Enforcement and a groupof people who were previously unaware ofwhat we do (aside from weighing trucks) andof their responsibilities as a part of Florida’sagriculture community. n

Florida Highway Patrol Holds Sugarcane Hauler SeminarsBy Tpr. Kelie Cichoski, Bureau of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol

Session one.

Session two.

Session three. Tpr. Llabre.Troopers Pelayo Llabre, Carlos Gonzales, KelieCichoski.



REGION II


GUARDIAN26

The Kentucky State Police (KSP)Commercial Vehicle EnforcementDivision is reaching out to studentsacross the Commonwealth with asafe driving campaign called Teens

and Trucks. The program was developed byCVSA, under its Operation Safe Driverprogram, to educate young drivers on how tosafely drive around large trucks and buses,with the goal of reducing crashes involvingteen drivers and trucks.

KSP Ofr. Steve Douglas was recently in Corbin,Kentucky, teaching the class to high schoolstudents.

“The Teens and Trucks program is a greatoutreach tool for student drivers,” said Ofr.Douglas. “Often times, driving courses focuson basic techniques, which is important, butmany of these teens never receive instructionabout maneuvering around large trucks.”

Ofr. Douglas says even though the course istargeted at teens, the concept of thecampaign is important for drivers of all ages.

“All drivers need to commit to sharing the roadwith other drivers – especially large trucks,”added Ofr. Douglas. “Some motorists are underthe false impression that because a truck driversits up high they can see more of the road,when in fact, compared with passengervehicles, trucks have more blind spots.”

Blind spots, also called “no zones,” are areasaround large trucks where the truck drivercannot see a passenger vehicle (see thediagram on the right). These no zone areas arewhere passenger cars disappear from the viewof the truck or bus driver and where amajority of crashes occur.

“As a driver, if you can’t see the mirrors on the commercial trucks you are passing ormaneuvering around, you can be sure that the truck driver doesn’t see you either,” notedOfr. Douglas.

He also emphasizes to the students theimportance of leaving plenty of space whenpassing large trucks or buses.

“Truck drivers work hard to get up to normalhighway speeds, sometimes shifting throughas many as 15 gears,” added Ofr. Douglas. “Forthis reason, and because trucks take longer tostop due to their size, I encourage thestudents to provide ample room when passingand not to cut off the truck.”

KSP Maj. Shawn Hines serves as director forthe commercial vehicle enforcement divisionand approved the program for implementationby agency personnel.

“Through education and working together, wecan continue to reduce truck-involved crasheson Kentucky roadways,” said Maj. Hines.“Many of our officers who are teaching thisprogram are parents themselves. They knowhow important it is for these young drivers tolearn about sharing the road with largevehicles.”

KSP reports that in 2015, a total of 9,932 largetrucks were involved in collisions, with 108 ofthose resulting in a fatality. School andcommercial buses accounted for an additional1,566 crashes during the same time period.

Maj. Hines says that the teen demographic isimportant when reducing the number ofcrashes.

“While teenage drivers only account for 6percent of licensed Kentucky drivers, they wereinvolved in 15 percent of all crashes on ourroadways last year,” noted Maj. Hines. “Weneed to be more proactive in educating ourteens about safe driving habits and thisprogram is a great resource for them. If we cancreate good habits early, maybe they will stickwith these teens into their adult lives asdrivers.”

The Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration provided grant funding topurchase the Teens and Trucks programmaterials and assisted with compensation for officers teaching the program.

To learn more about the Teens and Trucksprogram, visit www.operationsafedriver.org. n

Kentucky State Police Teaches Teens to Drive Safely Around Large Trucks

REGION II



REGION III

The Kansas Corporation Commission(KCC) partnered with the Kansasattorney general, Kansas HighwayPatrol, Kansas Motor CarriersAssociation and Truckers Against

Trafficking (TAT) to include training in identifyingand reporting suspected human trafficking aspart of the state’s weekly motor carrier safetypresentations throughout the state.

The Truckers Against Trafficking training ispart of a new focus aimed at reducing anoften overlooked, but important, problem byenlisting the help of motor carriers to reportsuspicious activity they encounter as theytravel the nation’s highways.

“Human trafficking is a problem worldwideand here in Kansas,” said Mike Hoeme,director of the KCC’s Transportation Division.“As the agency that regulates motor carriers inthe state, we have an opportunity to get theword out and help educate the industry onwhat to look for and how to help victims ofthese crimes.”

The KCC conducts free, half-day safetyseminars throughout the state for thousandsof motor carriers annually. The seminars coverall safety regulations, federal new entrantrequirements and hazardous materialsregulations, among other things.

“We feel we have a responsibility andobligation as public servants to educatebefore we regulate,” said Gary Davenport,deputy director of the KCC’s TransportationDepartment. “The ultimate goal of thesesafety seminars is to encourage complianceand prevent accidents by motor carriers.”

The state of Kansas is unique in that it offersweekly safety seminars free of charge to motorcarriers throughout the state. KCC special

investigators conduct the presentations andhave a chance to interface with motor carriersand inform them about what is required forthem to maintain compliance with motorcarrier safety regulations. The seminars alsoprovide an opportunity for motor carriers tolearn how they can help combat pressingissues, such as human trafficking.

“By incorporating Truckers Against Traffickingtraining into our programs, we can increaseawareness of these crimes and instruct motorcarriers on the steps to take if they see or hearsomething that might help law enforcementand ultimately save lives,” said Hoeme.

The classes are required of all motor carriersapplying for KCC authority as well as motorcarriers fined as a result of a complianceinvestigation. The classes are also designed toassist new interstate carriers with the FederalMotor Carrier Safety Administration’s newentrant audit.

The KCC has added information about humantrafficking to these training seminars,including a video produced by TAT. The videogives truckers signs to look for as they travel,such as a car pulling into a rest stop andletting out multiple girls.

“When we started prepping to teach andeducate about Truckers Against Trafficking, Ihad the same emotional and visceral responsethat I see in our program attendees… shock,dismay and anger,” said Special InvestigatorBrent Scott.

Viewing and teaching about human traffickinghas helped Scott become more aware of thesigns of potential trafficking. “It’s like when Istarted looking for a certain car to buy,” saidScott. “Before I started researching a specificvehicle, I really didn’t see many of them on

the road and then – BAM! They wereeverywhere. The program opens your eyes and helps focus attention on the issue.”

“The entire presentation is a revelation tomost folks,” said Special Investigator WadePatterson. “I think the most startling aspectsof the presentation are the age of the victimsand where they hail from. The fact that manytrafficked victims are American is a powerfulrealization to most. When we think of humantrafficking and specifically underaged victims,we think of third-world countries. As much asmost Americans believe that human traffickingis a scourge faced in foreign lands, thispresentation shatters that fallacy.”

Traffickers recruit women and girls throughlocal schools, in shopping malls or even justwalking down the street. They often focus onyoung girls who will be too scared to questiontheir authority.

“The thing that surprises our audiences themost is how young these kids are, that theycan be local kids and that these kids are soldto other traffickers in other states,” saidSpecial Investigator Penny Fryback.

Oftentimes, the trafficking is shockinglytransparent, with a call coming over the radio at a truck stop asking if anyone is interested inyoung girls.

Motor carriers are encouraged to call theNational Human Trafficking Resource Centerat 888-373-7888 as soon as they see somethingsuspicious, so that leads can be followed up on immediately.

Motor carriers can learn when the next KCC Safety Seminar in their area will take place by visitingwww.kcc.ks.gov/trans/safety_meetings.htm. n

KCC Adds Human TraffickingAwareness Training to KansasMotor Carrier Safety Program


GUARDIAN28

The Michigan State Police’s Commercial Vehicle EnforcementDivision (MSP/CVED) recently completed the digitization of all for-hire authority records and transactions. This launchescommercial motor vehicle regulatory and credentialingissuance and management into the 21st century.

The MSP/CVED Intrastate Certificate of Authority Registration (ICAR)System is a web-based information technology platform that isaccessible from any computer, regardless of browser, without the needfor application-specific software. The new platform substantiallyenhances the processing of credentials and annual renewals byessentially cutting down on unnecessary delays in the issuance ofCertificates of Authority. From the beginning, developers based theconcept on an “open technology” that allows for programenhancements or additional capabilities.

The ICAR system will be available to motor carriers 24 hours per day,seven days a week, except for scheduled down time for maintenance, ifnecessary. ICAR uses the universal Microsoft Windows conventions anddata entry methods. This allows function selection by tabbing, keyboardentry or mouse clicks; it’s also copy/paste enabled. The ICAR system isintuitive enough that motor carriers and external users can performtransactions without specialized training.

The ICAR system is designed to be completely paperless and allowmotor carriers to access their respective accounts anytime using ausername and password. The motor carrier can input new vehicleinformation, request the removal of a vehicle, add a vehicle, viewtemporary discontinuance of their authority and print a 72-hourtemporary permit. The ICAR system will eliminate the need for motorcarriers to file several forms to obtain a Certificate of Authority.

Once the motor carrier’s electronic information is entered, the accountis reviewed by staff, as they would have done if the application was filedon paper. Payment of all fees is conducted through Michigan’sCentralized Electronic Payments Authorization System, a web-basedpayment system that is managed by the Department of Treasury.

For additional information or questions, contact Ikechukwu NwabuezePh.D., regulatory and credentialing section, at 517-243-6754. n

Michigan’s Motor Carrier For-HireLicensing Goes DigitalBy Inspector Randy L. Coplin, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division,Michigan State PoliceCVSA hosted a performance-based brake tester (PBBT)

demonstration on Sept. 13, 2016, in Nebraska for enforcementpersonnel interested in seeing how the systems can be used forroadside enforcement. Despite early morning thunderstormsand cool weather, the PBBT demonstration at the Waverly,

Nebraska scale was a success. Members from Colorado, Nebraska, SouthDakota and Missouri were able to see the PBBT systems at work and howthey can be used for roadside enforcement.

Three FMCSA-qualified PBBT suppliers – Link Engineering, Maha andVehicle Inspection Systems – conducted the demonstrations. The 19enforcement personnel attendees attended a classroom presentation witha question-and-answer period for about an hour, then traveled to theWaverly scale for the system demonstrations.

Nebraska State Patrol were gracious hosts throughout the planning andpreparation for the demonstration, as well as on-site. CVSA alsoacknowledges and thanks the Kansas Highway Patrol and Illinois PortableTruck Inspections for bringing PBBT systems.

A performance-based brake tester is a machine that assesses thebraking performance of a vehicle. To learn more about PBBTs, visitwww.operationairbrake.com and click on “Performance-Based BrakeTesters (PBBT)” from the left-hand navigation column. An educationalbrochure on PBBTs is also available online for download. n

PBBT Demonstration a Success

REGION III REGION III



The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), with assistance from theFremont Police Department, conducted surprise commercialmotor vehicle inspections in Fremont, Nebraska, in August.The surprise inspections targeted commercial motor vehiclesthat might not travel outside the city or pass through weigh

stations as part of their regular routes.

During the special enforcement effort, the Metropolitan Aggressive andPrevention Selective (MAPS) Team conducted 65 inspections, discovered151 violations and took 19 vehicles out of service.

Vehicles were placed out of service for a variety of reasons relating to badbrakes or tires, or other problems that pose immediate safety risks. Inaddition, two drivers were taken out of service for not having acommercial driver’s license (CDL). Officers issued a total of $2,025 in fines.

“The MAPS Team ensures truck operators who rarely leave the city limitsare maintaining their vehicles and abiding by safety regulations,” said Col.Bradley Rice, NSP superintendent. “While most truck owners andoperators share our concern for safety, we know some think they canignore safety standards as long as they avoid the weigh stations. TheMAPS Team extends our reach into cities and towns across the state.”

Inspections have also been conducted in Lincoln, Sarpy County, Omaha,Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte and Dawson County this year. Surpriseinspections are planned throughout the year in cities and towns acrossNebraska.

The MAPS Team is funded largely by the Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration. Troopers check for compliance with federal safetyregulations and enforce laws pertaining to weight, size, registration,dyed fuels and permits associated with commercial motor vehicles. The MAPS Team was implemented in 1998 and consists of troopers fromthe Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement Division. On average, 20 to 24 troopers work each MAPS event. n

Nebraska State Patrol ConductsSurprise Truck Inspections

In September, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Michigan StatePolice teamed up to provide educational information at the 71stAnnual Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo in Oshkosh,Wisconsin. The three-day event, which is put on by the Great LakesTimber Professionals Association, was an opportunity to answer

questions and provide inspection demonstrations to drivers and carriersfrom throughout the Midwest. Both agencies were grateful to have theopportunity to interact with industry representatives. n

Wisconsin State Patrol and MichiganState Police Provide EducationalInformation at Annual Great LakesLogging and Heavy Equipment ExpoBy Sgt. Timothy Austin, Motor Carrier Enforcement Section, WisconsinState Patrol

REGION IIIREGION III

Michigan Motor Carrier Ofr. Jen Stolberg and Wisconsin Inspectors Corey Dahl andDoug Kellner performed demonstrations of the NAS inspection procedures fordrivers and carriers at the 2016 Logging Expo.

Michigan Motor Carrier Ofr. Jen Stolberg and Lt. Doug Szczepanski worked withWisconsin Inspector Troy Larsen to answer questions at an informational boothset up for the 2016 Logging Expo.


GUARDIAN30

Motor Carrier (MC) InvestigatorWilliam Clark, a 33-yearveteran of the Michigan StatePolice, Commercial VehicleEnforcement Division, is

credited with preventing a potential cargotank failure.

While conducting a cargo tank facility reviewand training a new investigator, MCInvestigator Clark identified a violationassociated with the anchor points for acatwalk assembly on a MC 406 cargo tank.The violation was discovered while the cargotank was in the shop for maintenance.

MC Investigator Clark stated, “It was obviousto me the anchor points did not meet federalspecifications, because the catwalk wasanchored directly to the cargo tank wall.”

The catwalk assembly was misidentified as alight-weight appurtenance by the manufacturer.The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials SafetyAdministration (PHMSA) requires the weldingof any appurtenance to the cargo tank wall tobe made by attachment of a mounting pad, sothat there will be no adverse effect upon thelading retention integrity of the cargo tank.

The anchor point requirement for MC 406cargo tanks is found in the Federal HazardousMaterials Regulations Section 178.345-3(f)(2)(3) – specific to the attachment to thecargo tank shell.

MC Investigator Clark took photos and measuredthe thickness of the catwalk attachment with amicrometer. The measurements verified thecatwalk assembly was not a light-weightappurtenance. The documentation and photosof the violation were immediately forwarded tothe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

(FMCSA) for further investigation.

After a comprehensive investigation byFMCSA investigators, a report detailingnumerous hazardous materials (HM)violations, of which include faultymanufacturing of the tanks and failure toprovide proper HM training for employees,was released.

As a result of MC Investigator Clark’s attentionto detail and upon conclusion of FMCSA’sinvestigation, the manufacturer was issued anotice of claim with a potential punitivejudgement totaling $388,500. As part of thesettlement agreement between themanufacturer and FMCSA, the manufacturerwill conduct a voluntary recall of the affectedcargo tanks. n

Veteran Investigator Takes Action to Prevent Potential Cargo Tank FailureBy MC Lt. Steve Pascoe, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Michigan State Police

REGION III

Top view of the anchor point.

Bottom view of the anchor point.

“It was obvious to methe anchor points didnot meet federalspecifications, becausethe catwalk wasanchored directly tothe cargo tank wall.” – William Clark, Motor Carrier Investigator



REGION IV

Our facility consists ofapproximately 11,000 employeesat the New Mexico site. Thismeans that on an average day,some 175 incoming shipments

arrive at our central receiving department.This material comes to us from commercialvendors and has to be staged and delivered tothe employees who reside on an Air Forceinstallation base.

Management from the logistics organizationssort of stood back and thought, “Do ouremployees actually know how equipment andsupplies arrive to our labs safely, securely andon time?”

Sandia’s material handlers are the first peopleto touch everything that is used around thelaboratory.

“These are the unsung heroes of Sandia,” saidFleet Services Manager Mark Crawford. “Theyare the hardworking men and women who aretrained to work under extreme conditions andamongst numerous hazards.”

Supporting our labs’ central safety principles,logistics operations staged a friendly safetyskills event on Kirtland Air Force Base as anexercise in safety standards and continuousimprovement. Five teams of operators, pairedin teams of two, represented our logisticsgroups at Sandia, including reapplication andtransportation/receiving.

“For us, this event is a learning experienceand an opportunity to train alongside ourcomrades in other departments,” said RobertNaranjo, a utility truck driver who competedwith teammate Ray Ortiz, a commercial motorvehicle driver.

Participants were faced with challenges suchas operating forklifts with various bulky loads,maneuvering through a narrow obstaclecourse both backwards and forwards, anddriving a 3-ton stake truck through sharpturns. Along the obstacles, they are expectedto operate safely.

Diana Goold, manager of property managementand reapplication, says the exercise benefitsmany logistics professionals at Sandia.

“An event like this is a great opportunity for us,”said Goold. "We have evaluators from internaland outside organizations who give us detailedfeedback. We compile all the lessons learnedfrom the exercise and then present it to ourentire team.”

Sandia assessors from safety engineering werejoined by guest observers from San JuanCommunity College, the largest truck drivingprogram in the state, and two officers from theNew Mexico Motor Transportation Department.

Sgt. Carlos Perea from the New Mexico StatePolice assessed the law enforcement side ofsafety to ensure drivers complied withDepartment of Transportation regulations. Sgt. Perea said, “What I’ve noticed about Sandiaoperators is they are good communicators andthey work really well together.”

The event was coordinated by Liz Carson, who says our 75 material handlers at Sandiahave many things in common: “They arefriendly, dedicated and customer-servicedriven,” she said.

Maury Tiehen from San Juan CommunityCollege observed the driving skills on thecourse. Tiehen added, “It’s obvious to me thatthe supervision and leadership at Sandia do agood job, from hiring the right people, togetting them the training they need to do thejob safely.” n

Sandia’s Driver Safety Games Put Safety Standards into High GearBy Elizabeth Carson, DOT Program Lead, Fleet Services Business Department, Sandia National Laboratories

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GUARDIAN

REGION III

Arizona DPS ConductsSafety Inspections ofPassenger Buses as Partof National Initiative

North American Standard Part B Course Goes to Mexico

REGION IV

The Arizona Department of PublicSafety’s (AZDPS) Commercial VehicleEnforcement (CVE) unit took part in a national Passenger Carrier SafetyInitiative July 18-30, 2016. Troopers

conducted driver and vehicle safety inspectionsalong with comprehensive passenger-carrierinvestigations and outreach activities.

“Everyone notices when we’re out there. Our mere presence prevents drivercomplacency and that involves everythingfrom fatigue to distracted driving. Driverbehaviors have always been a factor in seriousinjury and fatal crashes involving passengercarriers. If we can check the logbooks andtake some careless drivers off the road it willmake a huge difference in passenger safety,”said Capt. Brian Preston of AZDPS CVE.

Troopers were involved in roving patrols oninterstates in northern Arizona looking forequipment and speed violations involvingcommercial motor vehicles. Passenger-carrierinspections were performed at the Mariposaand Douglas points of entry. Inspections alsotook place at bus terminals in the Phoenix area.

In addition, CVE troopers took the opportunityto educate various bus companies and theiremployees about possible equipment violationson their vehicles, federal law as it pertains todriver log books and other regulations as part of an ongoing outreach program. n

REGION IV

The National Training Center (NTC)offers an instructor-led course onhow to apply the appropriate FederalMotor Carrier Safety Regulations(FMCSRs) and procedures to

successfully conduct a Level I Inspection.

While this course was initially designed forU.S. federal, state and local law enforcementpersonnel responsible for applying theappropriate regulations and standards duringinspections of commercial motor vehicles,NTC teamed with members of the Secretariade Communicaciones y Transportes, CrossBorder Trucking Transportation to present thiscourse in Mexico to Mexican law enforcementpersonnel.

This class provided its share of challenges forNTC. Besides logistics, there were differencesbetween the U.S. and Mexican motor carrierinspection requirements and driverqualification requirements had to bereviewed. As a result, adjustments to thetraining modules had to be made fortranslation and course content.

The course provides training on:

• Initial Tractor Inspection

• Mid-Section Inspection

• Trailer and Wheel Inspection

• Subsequent Tractor Inspection

• Axle Inspection

• Brake Inspection

• Tractor Interior Inspection

• Fifth Wheel Movement

The course is approximately 40 hours andincludes an examination with a required scoreof 80 percent or higher. If the student passesthis exam, he or she will then be required tocomplete 32 Level I Inspections with acertified Level I inspector within six monthsafter completion of the course.

Official Carlos Chavez Hermida, DirectorGeneral Adjunto de Atencion alAutotransporte, stated that this class of 50students in Queretaro, Mexico, had a positiveexperience and they were looking forward toapplying their newly learned skills tosuccessfully conduct a Level I Inspection. n

From left to right: Ron Crampton, Director, NTC; Official Carlos Chavez Hermida, Director GeneralAdjunto de Atencion al Autotransporte; MargieMcQueen, Safety Programs Manager.

Students receiving hands-on training.

Students during a classroom presentation.



Each day, hundreds of thousands oftravelers use Oregon’s transportationsystem to transport goods, travel toand from work, and travel forbusiness, recreation and excursions.

In 2015, more than 400 people died on ourtransportation system which averages out tomore than one person every day.

Historically, transportation-related fatalities in Oregon have trended downward. However,since 2013, there has been an annual increasein transportation fatalities. This increase iscommon across the country and fatalities dofluctuate in relationship to a variety ofeconomic, demographic and system factors.The increase does reinforce the importance of continuing to focus on and invest inmultidisciplinary transportation safetyprograms.

The Oregon Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) aims to eliminate this tragedy by continuing its focus and investments intransportation safety programs. The TSAP is a strategic safety plan for all users, allroadways and all transportation agencies inOregon. The plan outlines the vision, goals,policies and strategies for long-term safety andactions to achieve near-term opportunities fortransportation safety in Oregon.

Part of the TSAP is Oregon’s Commercial VehicleSafety Plan (CVSP). The safety goal of the CVSPis to reduce truck- and bus-at-fault crashes. Oneof the key objectives of the CVSP is to focusattention on increased traffic enforcementidentifying truck driver behaviors associatedwith high truck-at-fault crash numbers.

In 2015, there were 1,332 crashes in Oregoninvolving trucks. This is a 6 percent decreasefrom 2014. Oregon has one of the best crashcausation reporting systems in the UnitedStates and determined that of the 1,332 crashes,the truck was at fault in 712, or approximately54 percent of the crashes. This represents a 6percent decrease from 2014. The number ofpeople injured in 2015 truck crashes decreasedby 33 to a total of 534. The number of peoplekilled in 2015 increased by 20 to a total of 54.

Of the 712 truck-at-fault crashes occurring inOregon in 2015, only 42 crashes (or 6 percent)were attributed to mechanical problems withthe truck. The remaining 670 (or 94 percent) oftruck-at-fault crashes were caused by unsafetruck driver behaviors. The largest contributingdriver behavior associated with truck crashes isspeeding. Other significant driver behaviorscontributing to crashes include following tooclose, failing to remain in lane, improper lanechange, improper turns, inattention, failure toyield and fatigue.

A review of crash data reinforced the need forlaw enforcement agencies to increase trafficenforcement efforts and identify and addressunsafe driving behaviors to avoid these types oftruck crashes.

In July 2016, the Oregon Department ofTransportation’s Motor Carrier TransportationDivision (MCTD) implemented a state-fundedone-year pilot program called the Oregon MotorCarrier Safety Action Plan (OMCSAP). The goalof this plan is to reduce truck-at-fault crashes inOregon by focusing on and addressing unsafeCMV driver behaviors that cause truck crashes.MCTD will provide state funds to increase safetyinspections in Oregon by engaging the OregonState Police and local law enforcement agenciesto identify unsafe driver behaviors in high-crashlocations and conduct truck/driver safetyinspections. The result of this enhanced level ofroadside inspection activity by law enforcementagencies starts with the increased trafficenforcement identifying unsafe drivingbehaviors preceding safety inspections.

Focusing on the leading causes of truckcrashes in Oregon with increased enforcementactivities, along with educational outreach,will provide all drivers an opportunity toconcentrate on the skills needed to operatemotor vehicles safely.

At the end of the OMCSAP pilot, MCTD willevaluate the results of the plan. If the pilot issuccessful in reducing truck-at-fault crashes inOregon, the program may receive additionalfunding. n

The Oregon Motor Carrier Safety Action Plan

REGION IV

Driver BehaviorsIdentified in 2015Truck-at-Fault Crasheson Oregon Highways1. Speeding

2. Following Too Close

3. Failure to Remain in Lane

4. Failure to Yield

5. Improper Turn

6. Improper Lane Change

7. Inattention

8. Fatigue

9. Improper Backing

10.Disregard Sign/Signal


GUARDIAN34

REGION III

Alberta’s Chief Callahan Appointed to CALEA

Inspection PhotosAlberta Transportation’s New Executive Directorof Safety andCompliance Services

REGION V

Chief Steve Callahan of Alberta Commercial VehicleEnforcement was appointed as a new commissioner to theCommission on Accreditation for

Law Enforcement Agencies Inc. (CALEA®).CALEA is the gold standard in public safetyaccreditation. His appointment will beeffective as of Jan. 1, 2017.

CALEA was established as an independentaccrediting authority in 1979 by the fourmajor law enforcement executiveassociations: International Association ofChiefs of Police (IACP), National Organizationof Black Law Enforcement Executives(NOBLE), National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).The commission has 21 members, including 11 law enforcement practitioners and 10members from the public and private sectors.The position is voluntary and commissionersare appointed to a term of three years.

CALEA serves to develop standards for public safety agencies and administercomplementary accreditation processes.Program offerings currently includeaccreditation for law enforcement agencies,public safety communications and trainingacademies, and most recently, campussecurity organizations. These programsprovide a modern management model forpublic safety agencies on an internationalbasis and are a blueprint for developingindustry-recognized best practices.

Chief Callahan has served as a member ofAlberta Commercial Vehicle Enforcementsince 1980, holding positions of progressivelygreater responsibility. He earned a degree incriminal justice and police science fromMount Royal University and is a graduate ofspecialized management training includingthe University of Alberta Faculty of BusinessExecutive Managers Program and the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police TransportationTraining. He is a member of the AlbertaAssociation of Chiefs of Police and an advisoryboard member for Lethbridge College LawEnforcement Program.

The knowledge and experience Chief Callahanbrings to CALEA helps ensure the organizationcontinues to meet its mission of promotingprofessionalism within the field of publicsafety. n

REGION V REGION V

Alberta Transportation welcomedTrudy Iwanyshyn to her new roleas executive director of safety andcompliance services in August2016. Trudy began her career with

the government of Alberta in 2000 working asa CVSA inspector at the Whitecourt VehicleInspection Station.

In 2002, she represented Alberta at the NorthAmerican Inspectors Championship (NAIC) inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, where she placed inthe top 10 overall and took home third placein the Hazmat/Transportation of DangerousGoods (TDG) Cargo Tank Inspection category.

Trudy spent seven years as a certified CVSAinspector with the Alberta province and brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She hasworked as a National Safety Code investigator/auditor, TDG inspector, manager of driverfitness and monitoring, and director ofdangerous goods, rail safety and 511 Alberta.She also spent more than a year with TransportCanada as the regional manager of the TDGprogram in prairie and northern region beforereturning to Alberta Transportation.

Trudy is committed to working with industryand government partners to achieve a safe and secure transportation system. She iscollaborative, forward-thinking and takesgreat pride in serving Albertans and hercommunity at large.

Trudy can be reached [email protected] or 780-422-3759. n

Worn out tires, steel cords showing. Photo by Ofr.Sheldon Barteaux, Whitehorse Weigh Station,Yukon, Canada.

Broken latch on the back of an end dump trailer.Photo by Ofr. Sheldon Barteaux, Whitehorse WeighStation, Yukon, Canada.



A Tribute to Sean McAlisterBy Peter Hurst, Director, Carrier Safety Enforcement Branch, Ontario Ministry of Transportation

REGION V

Sadly, Sean McAlister was taken fromus this past August at the age of 57after a 15-month battle with lungcancer. Sean McAlister was born inMontreal, Canada. Early in his career,

Sean worked for the Canadian Council of MotorTransport Administrators (CCMTA) in Ottawa,Canada, before moving to the InsuranceCorporation of British Columbia (ICBC) in 2000.After a stint with ICBC, Sean went on to set upshop as a transportation safety consultant.

For many people, Sean McAlister issynonymous with commercial motor vehiclesafety in Canada and the United States. Seanadvised committees, chairpersons and boardsfor years. Many of our commercial motorvehicle safety rules and programs are in someway part of Sean McAlister’s legacy.

Sean was larger than life. He had playedfootball for McGill University in Montreal inthe 1970s and once tried out for the Universityof Michigan – until he saw how really big U.S.football players are. His voice was un-mistakable in a noisy committee room andpeople always paused what they were doingto listen to Sean’s sage advice.

I first met Sean McAlister in 1995 at a CCMTAmeeting in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Seanwas the secretary for both the Compliance andRegulatory Committee (CRA) of the CCMTAand the CVSA Region V Committee, both ofwhich I was soon to become deeply involved.

A series of events was about to unfold that would bind me to Sean McAlisterprofessionally and personally for the next 20 years. Our friendship and professionalrelationship allowed me a glimpse of the mancalled Sean McAlister. Sean had an easyoutgoing style about him. Always quick toparticipate. Always willing to get involved.Always ready to include people. Always readyto urge us on to achieve lofty goals. We becameinstant friends – working together, breakingbread together (as Sean liked to say) andrelaxing together. Indeed, many colleaguesacross North America enjoyed a similarrelationship with Sean. This was Sean’s way.

For people who never had the opportunity tomeet Sean, he was a walking encyclopedia ofcommercial motor vehicle safety programsand legislation in North America. Sean wasintimately familiar with every reciprocalagreement signed between Canada and theU.S. involving the business of regulatingcommercial motor vehicles and drivers. Inevery discussion, Sean could bring us back tofirst principles by explaining what had goneon 10 or 20 years before; thereby providinginvaluable context to the work at hand. Seanhad that rare ability to sort the wheat fromthe chaff, connect the dots and communicateit so others could understand.

As the new Region V president in 1996 withlittle experience with CVSA, its members andits leaders, Sean took me under his wing,introducing me to anyone and everyone.

He was always there to guide and to support. I remember when he introduced me to BobBrooks (the then CVSA president) and walkedme around to meet the executive committeeand the regional presidents. I couldn’t havedone it without him. And Sean was alwaysready and willing to offer advice andassistance. I called him the ‘Consigliore.’

In the late 1990s, Sean McAlister was a keymember of the North American CargoSecurement Committee tasked with developinga new standard in Canada. Sean visited manyCanadian jurisdictions in 1999 to help marketthe soon-to-be-implemented cargo securementstandard. He was in so many hotels in such ashort period of time that in St. John’s he actuallyforgot what room and hotel he was in. Seanpoured his passion and life into making aCanada/U.S. harmonized standard a reality andwas recognized for his efforts.

When I joined CVSA, very few of the Canadianprovinces and territories had trained andcertified CVSA inspectors because the trainingwas only available in the U.S. relating to U.S.regulations and it was very expensive. When Ibecame president in 1996, my colleagues andfellow Region V members set out with Sean’shelp to change this by getting CVSA’s blessing

for a Canadian curriculum taught by Canadianinstructors relating to Canadian laws. Therewere many Region V members that wereinvolved in this effort, but Sean McAlister wasinstrumental in pushing us to achieve heightsnever thought possible in Region V byestablishing a Canadian Education QualityAssurance Team (EQAT) and independent testcenter. Sean helped us get funding fromTransport Canada for EQAT that still existstoday, some 20 years later. That effort helpedRegion V produce six NAIC Grand Champions,a result that always made Sean proud.

In 2000, Sean made the move from CCMTA tobecome the head of driver licensing for theInsurance Corporation of British Columbia.Sean went from consigliore to jurisdictionalmember overnight. He became chair of theold CVSA International Legal and RegulatoryAffairs Committee; now called the Policy andRegulatory Affairs Committee. The role was aperfect fit for Sean’s love of legislation andrulemaking and his desire to change things onthe ground to improve program delivery and,ultimately, make roads safer.

Later when he left ICBC, he re-invented hisrole and contribution to the world that isNorth American commercial motor vehiclesafety. Going back to his consigliore roots ofassessing the facts and providing advice, he established himself as a leading expert and consultant on commercial motor vehiclesafety. His consulting group has contributed toand led to many studies that continue tobenefit Canadian and U.S. regulators.

Sean McAlister died at Central West Hospicein Ottawa on Aug. 20, 2016. He is survived byhis wife Beverley Spencer. n

Sean McAlister was an advisor of advisors – a consigliore who helped shapecommercial vehicle safety programs in North America.

On Sept. 22, 2016, the CVSA ExecutiveCommittee accepted the motion by RegionV to honor the memory and contributionsof Sean McAlister by naming the NorthAmerican Inspectors Championship (NAIC)High Points Canada Award after him. The award will be known as the SeanMcAlister High Points Canada Award.

F R O M T H E D R I V E R ’ S S E AT

FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT

Want to Understand Truck Drivers? Go to Driving SchoolBy Kevin Burch, President, Jet Express Inc., Chairman, American Trucking Associations

My cover was blown. It took a little more than two weeksfor me to learn two importantlessons: I'm not cut out for a career as an undercover

agent and I had a lot to learn about driving a truck.

Two weeks into the six-week CDL trainingprogram I took at Clark County CommunityCollege, the instructor told the class that theday's lesson would be about getting hired as atruck driver. Like the moment in a movie whenthe undercover agent knows he or she's beensold out, I knew I would be exposed at anyminute. Sure enough, the slideshow scrolledthrough a list of nearby trucking companiesand my picture popped up on the screen,along with my title and place of business: Kevin Burch, president, Jet Express Inc.,Dayton, Ohio.

Now, I didn't go to driving school to find thebest local talent and hire them to ourcompany; I wanted to learn how to drive atruck. And let me be the first to say, driving atruck takes training, skill and constant focus.But being a truck driver is about more thansimply driving a truck. I learned there are awhole range of other responsibilities that I'dargue are equally important. My first road testended in defeat. I went back to school, usedmy drive and passion for trucking, and passedthe second time around.

In August, I attended the National TruckDriving and National Step Van DrivingChampionships and what I saw at thechampionships reaffirmed what I learned afew years ago as a student at truck drivingschool: the pre-trip inspection is one of themost important parts of any trip. Competitorsare scored for their ability to recognize hiddendefects and DOT violations on the class oftruck they'll use to drive the obstacle course –but they only have 10 minutes to complete the inspection. To me, this mimics the intenseconcentration that it takes for America's 3.5million professional truck drivers to completetheir pre-trip inspections every day. A thoroughpre-trip inspection prevents unsafe conditionswhen we're out on the road.

At driving school, that point is emphasized, andwhen a driver gets hired and trained by his orher company, that point is re-emphasized. Apre-trip inspection can be life-saving. A goodpre-trip inspection is expected from start tofinish. We want our equipment on the highwaysto be in top condition and safety is first andforemost. However, a breakdown on the roadcan also be costly and the freight is delayed forthe customer.

So, I was not surprised to see that a 24-year-olddriver was named Rookie of the Year at theNational Truck Driving Championships. Youngdrivers, especially those who were recentlytrained at a driving school or company trainingprogram, can be valuable spokespeople for theimportance of a pre-trip inspection within acompany's terminal. This year's Rookie of theYear could have achieved the highest scorepossible on the driving course and still finishedwith a disappointing overall score if he haddone poorly on the pre-trip inspection orwritten examination. Every part of a driver'sday matters and every decision can have amajor impact on safety.

As the president of a trucking company and as a licensed class 8 truck driver, it's importantthat I understand the role that a pre-tripinspection can play on highway safety.Fostering an environment at my terminals that promotes thorough inspections andcommitment to detail is an essential part ofmy management responsibilities. During mytenure as chairman of the American TruckingAssociations, I hope to continue to spread thatmessage to my colleagues and associatesthroughout the industry.

Looking back, it's sometimes hard to fathomhow many lives have been saved by makingsure a tire is properly inflated or checking tosee if the brakes are properly functioningbefore a driver set out for his or her delivery.Pre-trip inspections have saved countless livesand they will continue to keep us all safe onthe roads. n

It's sometimes hard to fathom how manylives have been savedby making sure a tire is properly inflated orchecking to see if thebrakes are properlyfunctioning before adriver set out for his or her delivery.

GUARDIAN36


Each year, drivers of commercial motorvehicles in a variety of industries aresubject to collisions, many of whichresult in the unfortunate loss of lives.Despite changes in vehicle safety

standards, according to the U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics, motor vehicles are still the number-one cause of on-the-job fatalities. In fact, 2015was marked by 35,902 deaths due to trafficcrashes and fatalities rose by 7.2 percent,according to the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA).

However, the dire situation is looking up withthe advent of crash avoidance technology, alsoknown as advanced driver assistance systems(ADAS). Now, automotive original equipmentmanufacturers and other key industry playershave the ability to help drivers avoid collisionsthrough a number of unique tools.

How Do ADAS Work?While very comprehensive in capabilities, ADAS technology is quite simple and easy towork with. Built around monitoring, it can lookat a number of key vehicular componentsthrough a strategic combination of cameras,radar, infra-red, ultrasonic or LiDAR sensors todetect potential threats or danger. Dependingon what is detected, a warning or action isactivated. Many new vehicles already includeADAS features, such as adaptive cruise control,blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning,automatic braking and a backup camera.

ADAS and Potential Cost Savings Collisions can result from a number ofscenarios, including drunk driving, speedingor distraction. However, the scope of theactual statistics – and the associated costramifications – is shocking. According to a2016 report by the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC) Foundation:

• Work-related vehicle collisions cost U.S.employers $25 billion, broken down as

$671,000 per death and $65,000 for a non-fatal injury (2013)

• 36 percent of work-related injury deaths in the U.S. were caused by motor vehiclecrashes (2014)

• More than a third of long-haul truck drivershave been in a serious truck crash duringtheir career

When looking at these statistics, the impact isclear: vehicle crashes and collisions can result ina significant decrease in return on investment.After all, when youcombine workers’compensation claims with lost time, cost ofrepair and replacement, loss of product,lawsuits and damage to company image,crashes can result in significant losses to anorganization, whatever its size. With ADAS,however, and the ability to mitigate collisions,the potential for cost savings is very real.

ADAS to Learn About NowOver time, safety has begun to play a strongerrole in the management of commercial fleets.It’s essential for corresponding managers tounderstand what ADAS are currently on themarket (standard, optional and aftermarket),and determine the impact they can have onreducing the number and severity of crashes.The six most common ADAS for fleet managersto consider are:

1. Forward collision warning

2. Automatic braking and electronicstability control

3. Lane departure warning and prevention

4. Adaptive headlights

5. Blind spot detection

6. Back-up prevention and park assist

To truly maximize the capabilities these ADAScan offer, fleet managers need to first assesswhere their needs and the needs of theirorganization lie, and then move forward withimplementing a solution.

Rolling Out ADAS When considering the powerful combinationof driver safety and company cost savings thetechnology offers, it’s no wonder ADAS arebecoming key tools for today’s commercialfleets. Once a fleet manager determines theright solution to pursue, there are some keythings that must be executed for anappropriate and effective roll-out, much ofwhich starts with the driver. These include:

• Thorough driver education

• Monitoring the effectiveness of ADAS in the fleet

• Monitoring drivers to ensure safety featuresare turned on and working

• Collecting driver feedback

• Updating driver policy and handbook toinclude language on ADAS

Driver Safety Has a Bright FutureTraditionally, it has been found that automanufacturers have been slower at embracingand incorporating advanced safety technologyinto new vehicle models. However, a shift hasbeen steadily underway. A new focus ontechnology and data is driving innovation andsafety strategy for the future. It’s anticipatedthat in North America, and other regions,there will be a notable increase in use of ADASin cars and trucks. In fact, a 2016 marketresearch report predicts that the globalmarket for commercial vehicle ADAS will growby 14 percent in the next five years, driven bythe rise of connected trucks and platooning.

A collision on the road is a terrifying experienceand too often results in tragedy. With theimplementation of ADAS in commercial motorvehicles, fleet managers can take big stepstoward driver safety that will not onlysafeguard many lives but also help withcompany cost savings. The technology is trulythe next generation in driver safety. n

I N D U S T R Y P E R S P E C T I V E S

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: The Next Generation in Driver SafetyBy Neil Cawse, CEO, Geotab

GUARDIAN38

I N D U S T R Y P E R S P E C T I V E S

Evolving Tread Design for Commercial Trucks May Be Right Around the CornerBy Sharon Cowart, Director of Product Marketing, Michelin Americas Truck Tires

For many years, the truck tireindustry has worked on improvingthe performance and safety of tires.Exploring new designs to improvewear life, fuel efficiency, traction,

retreadability and handling (just to name afew) is an ongoing effort.

One such innovation – which changes the waymanufacturers manage tire wear as the tireapproaches the end of its life – is quicklybeing optimized. This innovation is known as“evolving tread design.” It features “hiddengrooves.” This new technology has beensuccessfully introduced to passenger-car tiresand is well on its way to the heavy-truck tiremarket.

Today, most steer tire tread designs feature anumber of ribs separated by “major treadgrooves” that evacuate water from the contactpatch. The grooves are prominent (wide anddeep when new) but as the tire wears, thegrooves become narrow and shallow.Advances in tread design and moldingtechniques will soon allow manufacturers tooffer an outward taper to these grooves, sothey actually become wider as end of tire lifeapproaches, maintaining a stable grip.

This advance in technology provides tires withlonger wear life. More stable ribs are able toresist irregular wear all while maintainingtraction.

What does this mean for safety enforcement?Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration (FMCSA) added a definition of “major tread groove” to the regulations. This addition clarifies to drivers, carriers andinspectors where the tread depth should bemeasured on the tire (see definition to theright). With the new “hidden groove”technology soon to expand into the commercialmotor vehicle market, training programs forinspectors will need to incorporate the newFMCSA definition and also increase awarenessabout evolving tread technology. In tires withthis new technology, some major treadgrooves, as well as tread wear indicators(TWIs), will be hidden when tires are new butwill become visible as the tire wears. n

In 2012 CVSA petitioned FMCSAto create a definition of majortread groove to clarify wheretread depth should bemeasured. On July 22, 2016,FMCSA published a definitionas follows:

“Major tread groove is thespace between two adjacenttread ribs or lugs on a tirethat contains a tread wearindicator or wear bar. (Inmost cases, the locations oftread wear indicators aredesignated on the uppersidewall/shoulder of the tireon original tread tires.)”

Measuring Tread Depth

NEW

50% Worn

75% Worn

I N S P E C T O R ’ S C O R N E R

INSPECTOR’S CORNER

Developing Partnerships with IndustryBy Tpr. Daniel Voelker, Arizona Department of Public Safety

When I came over to thecommercial vehicle unit in mystate, I quickly realized there isequal need for goods to betransported by trucks and for

regulations to be enforced in a uniform manner.

From time to time, at social gatherings, therewill be someone that will learn what I do for aliving, and it seems there is always someone inthe group that thinks it should be my goal toget all of the commercial motor vehicles off ofthe roadway because of the damage they caninflict in collisions. This will normally turn into ateaching opportunity for me because there areso many members of the public that seem to beunaware of the mystical magic involved indelivering goods from where they are made towhere they are purchased. The simple truth isthat you can’t find any products to purchasethat have not been moved or supported bycommercial motor vehicles.

So, what is my real goal when I am at work andwhat is the most efficient way I can achieve mygoal? During several of my inspections, I havehad professional drivers who expressed a beliefthat I am required to find a specific number ofviolations or write a certain number of citations(quota). I cannot speak for other inspectors, butI can honestly say my supervisors have neverquestioned me on the number of citations Ihave written (or not written); nor is there a freetoaster involved if I hit a certain out-of-serviceor violation-per-inspection rate. With this levelof agency support that I enjoy, I am free topursue my goal of making the roadways saferfor everyone in my community.

I admit, this is a very difficult goal to achieveand if law enforcement attempted to achievethis goal on its own, it is guaranteed to fail. Thatis why it is crucial for law enforcement to workwith the biggest group that can have thegreatest impact on safety. Who is the superpartner for safety? Industry, of course.

Early on in my commercial vehicle career, Irealized I could maximize every minute of myshift completing inspections and I would only have a minimal impact on traffic safety in mycommunity. I also discovered that if I created apartnership with the local trucking companiesin my community, everyone was helping reachthe same goal of safer roadways.

For me this partnership started with a localcompany we will refer to as “company C.” I started inspecting company C on a regularbasis because it was one company out ofthree major carriers hauling hazardousmaterials in the city where I live. My jobassignment focused 90 percent of my time onhazardous material haulers, so it was naturalfor me to inspect company C for around 25-33percent of all of my inspections.

As I started looking at my inspection data oncompany C, I noticed I was finding an averageof 2.9 violations per inspection and an out-of-service rate nearing 50 percent. The other twocompanies had lower out-of-service rateswhich, in turn, made me focus my attentionon company C. It didn’t take long for thesafety manager of company C to realize hehad an inspector living in his community thatwas focused on his company. So during one of

my inspections of company C, I wasapproached by the safety manager and heasked me what his company could do to “getout of the crosshairs.” I suggested a safety talkat his office. For the Arizona Department ofPublic Safety, we conduct safety talks free ofcharge. This safety talk was conducted at theconvenience of company C and they had severaldrivers and shop mechanics in attendance.During the safety talk, I demonstrated a Level Ihazardous materials cargo tank inspection. This allowed the drivers to know exactly what I expected from them, and it showed themechanics exactly what items I look at duringroadside inspections.

So, you might ask, what kind of benefit did company C receive out of this trainingsession? Well, I can only tell you the numbers.This year, I pulled the inspection data on theinspections I conducted on company C. Theynow average 0.48 violations per inspectionand their out-of-service rate is less than 10percent. With the lower numbers I have seenin inspecting company C, I now focus more ofmy attention on the other two carriers thathave not taken the opportunity to learn whatinspectors are looking for.

Then, you might ask, what kind of benefit did I receive? A 40 percent reduction in out-of-service vehicles driving on the same roadsas my family. That’s way better than a toaster.

Of the inspections I complete, I am only a smallcomponent of achieving my goal. The largercomponent is the trucking industry itself. n


GUARDIAN40

Bringing Realism into the Training EnvironmentBy Tammy Ottmer, Nuclear Materials Transportation Oversight, Hazardous Materials Section, Colorado State Patrol

The Colorado State Patrol MotorCarrier Services Branch taught twoCVSA Level VI eight-hour refresherson May 25 and 26, 2016, in Golden,Colorado. Tpr. Steve McDowell and

Port of Entry Senior Port Ofr. Zachery Jonesnow serve as Colorado’s CVSA instructionalteam. The instructors trained and certified 17CVSA Level VI inspectors. The training courseexperience was enhanced by hands-oninspection of a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant(WIPP) transporter.

The U.S. Department of Energy/Carlsbad FieldOffice supported the training by offering theservices of their contract carrier, VisionarySolutions, to haul three empty TRUPACT-IIs toColorado for utilization in the course.

Visionary Solutions drivers Steve Shikenjanskiand Vince Sheats provided experientialinformation that was timely and valuable inadvance of the proposed re-opening of theWaste Isolation Pilot Plant facility. n

R A D I N S P E C T I O N N E W S

Left to right: Tpr. John Huck; Tpr. Jason Bandy;Senior Port Officer Zachery Jones; VisionarySolutions Driver Steve Shikenjanski; Tpr. BradKennerson; Tpr. Steve McDowell; Port SupervisorDavid Brown; Sgt Luke Armstrong.

Left to right above: Tpr. Steve McDowell; Tpr. JohnHuck; Tpr. Brad Kennerson; Sgt. Luke Armstrong;Senior Port Officer Zachery Jones; Port Ofr. ThomasWilliams; Port Supervisor David Brown; VisionarySolutions Driver Steve Shikenjanski.

Left to right above: Visionary Solutions Driver SteveShikenjanski; Tpr. Kevin Darrah; Port Supervisor RickKumm; Port Ofr. John Hoskins; Senior Port Ofr.Zachery Jones; Port Officer Alex Washington; Tpr.Steve McDowell; Sgt Jeff Lytle; Port Ofr. ScottDonaghy; Tpr. Brian Walters; Tpr. Doug Barnes; PortOfr. Kyle Kaisershot; Tpr. Darrin Reeder.

CVSA Holds Its 158th Level VI Certification Class in Pennsylvania

The 158th Level VI certification class was held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Aug. 22-25,2016. Class 158 was represented by commercial motor vehicle hazardous materialsinvestigators from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado. Two planners from theMississippi EMA were also in attendance. CVSA Level VI National Instructors Rion Stannand Kelly Horn provided the instruction. n

About 'RADInspection News''RAD Inspection News' features newsand other stories pertaining tothe North American Standard Level VIInspection Program for transuranicwaste and highway route controlledquantities (HRCQ) of radioactivematerial. This inspection is for selectradiological shipments that includeenhancements to the North AmericanStandard Level I Inspection Programand the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria with addedradiological requirements fortransuranic waste and HRCQ ofradioactive material.

Learn more about the Level VIInspection Program at www.cvsa.org.

'RAD Inspection News' is madepossible under a cooperativeagreement with the U.S. Departmentof Energy (DOE). Since January 2007, it has run as a section inside CVSA's"Guardian." n

Level VI Training ScheduleCVSA, under a cooperative agreement with theU.S. Department of Energy, offers Level VIcertification classes each year. Classes areadministered on the topic of inspecting motorcarriers and their drivers while transporting both transuranic waste and highway routecontrolled quantities (HRCQ) shipments ofradioactive material. Under this cooperativeagreement, CVSA will provide Level VI training to jurisdictional inspectors who meet theprerequisite of having obtained CVSA Level I and hazmat certification.

2017 Level VI Basic Certification Classes

• Savannah, GeorgiaCOHMED Conference (eight-hour refresher only)Jan. 23, 2017

• Knoxville, TennesseeMarch 20-23, 2017

• Pearl, MississippiApril 3-6, 2017

• North Carolina May 2017Exact location and date TBD

• Albany, New YorkJune 20-23, 2017 (Tuesday – Friday class)

• Denver, ColoradoJuly 2017Exact location and date TBD

Any jurisdiction interested in Level VI training or with the available facilities to host a Level VIclass is asked to contact CVSA Director of Hazmat Programs Carlisle Smith at 301-830-6147or at [email protected].

U.S. DOE Awards Cooperative Agreement to CVSA



The U.S. Department of Energy’s(DOE) Carlsbad field office awarded a $1.7 million, five-yearcooperative agreement to CVSA.The purpose of this agreement is to

coordinate and implement activities to trainmotor vehicle safety officials and ensure thesafe transportation of transuranic (TRU) wastefrom generator sites and to the Waste IsolationPilot Plant (WIPP).

This includes general management of the plan, inspector training, and inspectionprogram data for quality validation and toensure its overall relationship to highwaysafety. The first cooperative agreement wasentered into in 1997.

WIPP is the nation’s only deep-geologicrepository to isolate defense-related TRU wastefrom the environment. Waste temporarily storedat sites around the country is shipped to WIPPand permanently disposed in rooms mined out

of an ancient salt formation 2,150 feet below thesurface. WIPP is currently not accepting wasteshipments. Shipments are expected to resumeduring 2017.

CVSA’s North American Standard VI InspectionProgram has been used for the inspection ofselect radiological shipments. This programincludes the inspection procedure, radiologicalrequirements and the enhanced NorthAmerican Standard Out-of-Service Criteria fortransuranic waste and highway route controlledquantities of radioactive material. As of Jan. 1,2005, all vehicles and carriers transportinghighway route controlled quantities ofradioactive materials are regulated by the U.S.Department of Transportation and required topass the enhanced North American StandardLevel VI Inspection. The U.S. DOE includes itstransuranic waste shipment in the enhancedNorth American Standard Level VI Inspectionprogram. n

CVSA Level VI Program Conducts Peer Review in New Mexico

As part of its cooperative agreementwith the U.S. Department of Energy(DOE) Carlsbad field office, CVSA’sLevel VI Program conducted a LevelVI Inspection Program peer review

during calendar year 2016.

The peer review process first began in 2005-2006 at the request of the U.S. DOE as a resultof the proposed spent nuclear fuel shipmentsto Yucca Mountain. After the Yucca Mountainproject was closed, the U.S. DOE’s Carlsbadfield office asked CVSA to continue the peerreview of Level VI Inspection Programsinspecting transuranic waste being shipped tothe Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) nearCarlsbad, New Mexico.

The purpose of the peer review of a CVSAmember’s Level VI Inspection Program is toidentify best practices and share those bestpractices with other members in order to helpimprove each individual Level VI InspectionProgram.

Interviews are conducted with the member’smanagement team that directly supervises thestate’s Level VI Program, Level VI certified

inspectors and other key stakeholders withinthe member’s jurisdiction, such as emergencyresponders, and state emergencymanagement and radiological safety staff.

Equipment maintenance, inspector training,jurisdictional manpower, state inspectionrequirements, public perception issues, andemergency preparedness are a few of thetopics that are reviewed and discussed withthe member state.

The 2016 peer review was conducted with theNew Mexico State Police. Members of the peerreview team were CVSA Director of HazmatPrograms Carlisle Smith, Capt. John Hahn of theColorado State Patrol, Ofr. Tony Anderson of theIdaho State Police and CVSA Level VI PublicOutreach Coordinator Larry Stern.

The “CVSA Level VI Inspection Program PeerReview: State Differences, Lessons Learned,Best Practices, and Recommendations” will beupdated with the 2016 data. Look for it on theCVSA Level VI Program section of the websiteunder “CVSA/WIPP Updates and Reports” tab,www.cvsa.org/programs/nas_vi_wipp.php. n


GUARDIAN42

U.S. DOE’s Office of Environmental ManagementIdaho Site Crews Complete Buried Waste CleanupAccomplishment

The U.S. Department of Energy’s(DOE) Office of EnvironmentalManagement (EM) Idaho siteprogram and contractor Fluor Idahohas completed a significant cleanup

accomplishment that further protects theunderlying Snake River Plain Aquifer, theprimary drinking and irrigation water sourcefor more than 300,000 Idahoans.

Workers recently satisfied a provision of a2008 agreement between the U.S. DOE, thestate of Idaho and the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) by packaging a totalof 7,485 cubic meters of exhumed hazardousand radioactive waste generated at the RockyFlats nuclear weapons production plant nearDenver and buried in Idaho in the 1950s and1960s. The amount of waste exhumed isequivalent to nearly 36,000 55-gallon drumsof material.

Per the agreement, crews will continue toremove radioactive and hazardous waste froma combined area of 5.69 acres of the unlined97-acre landfill called the subsurface disposalarea (SDA) at the Radioactive WasteManagement Complex. To date, Fluor Idahoand two previous contractors have exhumedwaste from 4.24 acres, and the projectremains about two years ahead of schedule.

Fluor Idaho will continue exhumation until allof the 5.69 acres are exhumed.

Once exhumed, characterized and repackaged,the waste is shipped out of Idaho for disposal.Following completion of waste exhumation, asoil cap will be installed over the entire SDA.

To complete the 2008 agreement between theU.S. DOE, the state of Idaho and the EPA, justtwo of nine different areas within the 97-acreSDA are left to be exhumed.

The waste exhumation project, which began in2005, targets removal of the highestconcentrations of solvents and transuranicradionuclides, such as plutonium andamericium, buried in the landfill.

Currently, crews are 56 percent complete onthe eighth area, and are working to removehazardous and radioactive buried waste withina steel-framed, fabric-sided building. Wasteexhumation in that building is expected tocontinue into 2017. Construction of thebuilding over the ninth and final area withinthe SDA began in July of 2016 and should becomplete in 2017.

Waste exhumation will begin post-constructionand is expected to be completed in 2020. n

Level VI Refresher at 2017 COHMEDConference

The Level VI Program will hold aneight-hour refresher for certifiedLevel VI inspectors during the 2017COHMED Conference in Savannah,Georgia, which will take place

Jan. 23-27, 2017.

As noted in CVSA’s Operational Policy 4, inorder to maintain Level VI certification, anofficer must maintain their North AmericanStandard Level I certification, their generalhazardous materials non-bulk certification and attend eight hours of Level VI refreshertraining every 24 months from their originalLevel VI certification date.

If you are a certified Level VI inspectorplanning to attend the 2017 COHMEDConference and you would like to attend the eight-hour refresher, contact CVSADirector of Hazmat Programs Carlisle Smith [email protected] no later than Jan. 31, 2017,to reserve your spot in the class. n

Level VI Inspections with No Violations 0 77 77 98.72

Level VI Inspections with Violations 0 1 1 1.28

Level VI Inspections with Out-of-Service(OOS) Violations

0 1 1 1.28

Roadside Inspections, Level VI (2016 - Fiscal)

LEVEL VI INSPECTIONS Federal State Total % of Total

Number of Level VI Inspections 0 78 78 100%

Point of Origin 0 54 54 69.23%

En Route 0 24 24 30.77%

Point of Destination 0 0 0 0%

Unknown Location 0 0 0 0%


PRESIDENTJulius DebuschewitzYukon Highways and Public Works

VICE PRESIDENTCapt. Christopher TurnerKansas Highway Patrol

SECRETARYCapt. Scott CarnegieMississippi Highway Patrol

PAST PRESIDENTSMaj. Jay ThompsonArkansas Highway Police

Maj. William “Bill” Reese Idaho State Police

Sgt. Thomas Fuller New York State Police

REGION PRESIDENTSRegion ISgt. John SamisDelaware State Police

Region IIRoss BatsonArkansas Highway Police

Region IIIM/Sgt. Todd ArmstrongIllinois State Police

Region IVLt. Scott HansonIdaho State Police

Region VKerri WirachowskyOntario Ministry of Transportation

REGION VICE PRESIDENTS Region ISgt. Scott DorrlerNew Jersey State Police

Region IILt. Allen England Tennessee Highway Patrol

Region IIICapt. John BroersSouth Dakota Highway Patrol

Region IVSgt. Joshua ClementsCalifornia Highway Patrol

Region VRichard RobertsBritish Columbia Ministry ofTransportation and Infrastructure

LOCAL PRESIDENTOfc. Wes BementGrand Prairie (Texas) Police Department

LOCAL VICE PRESIDENTOfc. Jason BelzArlington (Texas) Police Department

CVSA LEADERSHIPBOARD OF DIRECTORS

ASSOCIATE MEMBER PRESIDENTJason WingWalmart Transportation LLC

ASSOCIATE MEMBER VICE PRESIDENTDave Schofield Oldcastle Materials

COMMITTEE CHAIRSDriver-Traffic EnforcementCommitteeSgt. Chris BarrIndiana State Police

Enforcement and IndustryModernization CommitteeMaj. Derek BarrsFlorida Highway Patrol

Hazardous Materials CommitteeSgt. Brad WagnerNebraska State Patrol

Information Systems CommitteeHolly SkaarIdaho State Police

Passenger Carrier CommitteeLt. Donald Bridge, Jr.Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles

Policy and Regulatory AffairsCommitteeAlan R. Martin Public Utilities Commission of Ohio

Size and Weight CommitteeF/Sgt. Kenneth SneadNorth Carolina State Highway Patrol

Training CommitteeMilan OrbovichPublic Utilities Commission of Ohio

Vehicle CommitteeTpr. John SovaNorth Dakota Highway Patrol

PROGRAM CHAIRSLevel VI InspectionM/Sgt. Todd ArmstrongIllinois State Police

Cooperative Hazardous MaterialsEnforcement Development(COHMED)Donna McLeanTransport Canada

International Driver Excellence Award (IDEA)Don EgliIowa Motor Truck Association

Operation Safe Driver (OSD)Brian NealAmazon

Operation Airbrake (OAB)Lt. Scott HansonIdaho State Police

Shelley ConklinLandstar Transportation Logistics

International RoadcheckMaj. Derek BarrsFlorida Highway Patrol

North American InspectorsChampionship (NAIC)Richard RobertsBritish Columbia Ministry ofTransportation and Infrastructure

NON-VOTING LEADERSHIP

GUARDIAN

CVSA SPONSORS

PLATINUM

ELITE

DIAMOND

GOLD

GUARDIAN44

Looking Back, Moving Forward — Celebrating 25 years

45FOURTH QUARTER 2016 45

CVSA SPONSORS

SILVERABF FreightAmazonArkansas Trucking AssociationAustin Powder CompanyBrake Tech ToolsCanadian Council of Motor Transport

Administrators Cargo Transporters Inc.

EROAD Inc. FoxFury LLCGreat West Casualty CompanyGroendyke Transport Inc.Kenan Advantage Group Inc.Landstar Transportation LogisticsMANCOMM Inc.Mercer Transportation Company

NATC Inc.National Tank Truck CarriersSchlumberger Technology CorporationSpecialized Carriers and Rigging AssociationSTEMCO Brake ProductsSysco CorporationUS EcologyUsher Transport

BRONZEAmerican Bus AssociationAmerican Pyrotechnics AssociationAnderson Trucking Services Inc.Asplundh Tree Expert CompanyBigRoad Inc.DATTCO Inc.Direct ChassisLink Inc.Frontier LogisticsGorilla Safety

Greatwide Truckload ManagementGreyhound Lines Inc.Intransit LLCISE Fleet ServicesIteris Inc.Kiewit Power ConstructorsLytx Inc.Michels CorporationPeopleNet

Smart Safety ServicesTelogisTSO MobileUnited Motorcoach AssociationWalmartWarren Transport Inc.Werner Enterprises Inc.Western Express Inc.Workforce QA

FRIENDS OF CVSAAmerican Coatings Association Inc.Bork Transport of IllinoisCanadian Propane AssociationCommercial Vehicle Safety Associates

of Florida

Dibble Trucking Inc.EnvirunGateway Distribution Inc.Greg NeylonHorizon Freight System Inc./Kaplan Trucking Co.

Institute of Makers of ExplosivesJ.E.B. Environmental ServicesPraxair Inc.Sutliff & Stout, Injury & Accident Law FirmWestern States Trucking Association

NEW CVSA ASSOCIATE MEMBERSA & S Kinard

Admiral Transport Corp.

Allen Police Department

Bedford Police Department

Cates, Mahoney LLC

Dairy Farmers of America

Enterprise Crude Oil LLC

Friendswood Police Department

Northern Industrial Training LLC

Oncor Electric Delivery LLC

Organix Recycling LLC

Pinnacle Truck Driver Training Inc.

Q-Line Trucking

RS Concrete

Saskatchewan Trucking Association

Silver Eagle Charters

Stallion Transportation Group

Stoneridge Electronics Ltd.

Trico Transportation Inc.

Tutle & Tutle Trucking Inc.

Windstar LPG Inc.

As of Oct. 26, 2016

6303 Ivy Lane, Suite 310Greenbelt, MD 20770-6319

View the magazine online atwww.cvsa.org.

Mark Your Calendar for CVSA’s 2017 Meetings and Events

2017 Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development (COHMED) ConferenceJan. 23-27, 2017Savannah, Georgia

2017 CVSA WorkshopApril 23-27, 2017Atlanta, Georgia

2017 North American InspectorsChampionship (NAIC)Aug. 7-11, 2017Orlando, Florida

CVSA Data Management, Qualityand FMCSA Systems WorkshopAug. 8-10, 2017Orlando, Florida

2017 Annual Conference and ExhibitionSept. 17-21, 2017Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSUBURBAN, MDPERMIT No. 2800

Documents

GUARDIAN - ColoradoPrograms • William Schaefer, Director of Vehicle Programs • Ken Albrecht, Director of Education and Training • Iris Leonard, Manager of Member Services •