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A number of different trucking companies are calling on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to no longer make Compliance, Safety, and Accountability scores, along with other safety data, available to the public. Those petitioning the FMCSA claim that the information presented in this data contains statistical flaws that the FMCSA has done nothing to address, although it has been brought to their attention numerous times.

The groups and companies involved in this petition sent a joint letter to the FMCSA just weeks after both the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also requested that CSA data be removed from the FMCSA's website.

This is not the first time that groups within the trucking industry have petitioned to have such information removed. Earlier this year, a legal case was dismissed in which the Alliance for Safe, Efficient and Competitive Truck Transportation (ASECTT) brought a case against the FMCSA to have this safety data removed from public view, claiming that the FMCSA presented this information without addressing some of the flaws with the data, which could have significant effects on drivers' and companies' business.

Trucking companies and independent drivers face a number of substantial challenges in the course of doing business, but one of the most significant is cash flow problems caused by clients failing to pay their invoices on time, if ever. Fortunately, the team at TBS Factoring Service is here to help. Our truck factoring services can help you make ends meet even when your clients fail to make timely payments. Call us today at (800) 207-7661 to learn more about how we can help you.

A recent analysis conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has found flaws in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) study concerning the efficacy of the federal agency’s new 34-hour restart rule.

The rule, which is designed to help reduce fatigue among truck drivers in order to prevent accidents, has been controversial since its announcement, particularly in light of the considerable number of new regulations the agency has announced in the past two years, a total of 29 new rules governing how truckers have to operate. The FMCSA had used the study in order to show that the 34-hour restart rule significantly decreased reported fatigue and led to better lane positioning.

However, ATRI has documented a considerable number of design flaws in the study, including problems such as failing to differentiate between drivers who had taken a 34-hour restart and those who had been off duty for longer periods of time; findings that the average lane deviation was only 1/10^th of a centimeter greater for drivers in the non-34-hour restart group; and a sample size which may have been too small to offer meaningful insight. Though the FMCSA has disputed these findings, controversy over the rule is likely to continue.

At TBS Factoring, we understand the challenges that truckers may face on the road, and we work to provide freight factoring and other services to independent trucking operators. Contact us today at (800) 207-7661 today to speak with a member of our support staff and learn more about what we can do for you.