WASHINGTON — Preliminary data compiled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reveals a steady rise in crashes involving large trucks among companies that entered the industry since 2018.
The data was presented by FMCSA statistician Dan Burrill during the agency’s annual Analysis, Research, and Technology Forum on Wednesday.
The data was presented as a supplement to an analysis of the surge in new common-carrier registrations since just before and during the pandemic. In 2021, for example, FMCSA data found that new registrations for motor carrier authority averaged 17,000 per month, compared with 8,500 per month in 2019. New entrants with one power unit accounted for most of the surge.
Starting with crash data for carriers that entered the industry in 2018, “we found that there’s a general tendency among the new carriers to be in a small number of crashes in their first year of operation, and then for the number of crashes to increase over time,” Burrill said.
In 2018, for example, new entrants were involved in about 1.3% of all crashes involving a large bus or truck. By 2021, the crash rate for those 2018 entrants rose to about 3.5%.
“We do plan to do additional analysis of this data, according to Burrill. “A lot will be assessing new carriers and comparing them to a more well-established group to see if there are differences in safety performance.”
Burrill also noted that while the average number of new registrations has started to fall from a peak in 2021, “it’s still much higher than pre-COVID.”
Other presentations during the forum included a briefing on Level 8 commercial vehicle inspections, a new type of safety inspection that is done electronically while vehicles are at highway speed with no direct interaction with an enforcement officer.
“The vision for the Level 8 inspections is that they collect more data about the carrier, vehicle and driver, including CDL status, hours-of-service compliance information, which is electronically checked against national compliance databases in real time,” said FMCSA Transportation Specialist Tom Kelly.
The information is then used “not only to make a bypass decision [whether or not to conduct a more intensive safety check], but also to record the results electronically without human interaction.”
FMCSA estimates it can conduct as many as 10 times more inspections through Level 8 inspections, which can help the agency better monitor the growing number of trucks on the road, Kelly said. The agency is designing an operational test model for the inspections.
The agency is also developing a model operational safety plan as a template for carriers operating automated driving systems.
WILLIE Tucker
I am sure that the majority of this crashes are done by foreign drivers who are not able to read or understand the English language. I know this because when I was training 25% of the new trainees needed a translator during class.
Porchsetter
Not surprised at all, the vast majority of the new drivers don’t have the necessary skills to operate a shopping cart let alone a tractor trailer. And for the most part these new entrants are ex company drivers with very limited experience and have been driving speed limited equipment. Once they get their own truck they sopped like crazy and can’t control it. Now factor in the cell phone usage amongst the younger population and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Mary
There needs to be some control over brokers, double booking. They book a bunch of loads as a carrier, and then low book out to carriers. Since the rate is so low, it takes days for them to rebook the load, the the actual carrier only have a day to get the load delivered, causing the drivers to speed to get the load there in less time needed. I am owner, I never take these loads. TOL being the absolute worse!
Just wondering
This data is not surprising. I for one however would still be interested in seeing statistical data on accident rates among 1st year CDL holders prior to ELDT and now since ELDT. I have not been able to find any data that supports this requirement as being effective.
DPP
We play a fun game that I taught my drivers. See a so-called “new entrant” at one of our customers, search their DOT number in the FMCSA system, and compare their SMS results to our company. I found one recently with 335 trucks and a 33% out-of-service rate. 1 in 3 of their trucks does not leave the scale! The offenses include open intoxicants and drugs present in the CMV, no ELD, etc.
Shippers do not care about SMS results; they are only looking for rate reductions.
DPP
“The vision for the Level 8 inspections is that they collect more data about the carrier, vehicle and driver, including CDL status, hours-of-service compliance information…”
I predicted that the ELD mandate will quickly evolve into pulling your individual ERODS from the ELD device as you pass by a pole two miles out from the weigh station. It is now inevitable.
Jerjuan Brooks (Without Prejudice)
Safety OSHA Standards NCCER
Thagearjammer
Wow data can be so misleading. 97% of the industry is 20 or less trucks. Of course they would make up the majority of crashes any year! Steady rise! Betcha they were speeding or rushing because of ELD?! but blame the people working hard instead of the people crafting these bs regulations. Symptoms?Government ppl suck they don’t listen to the people just lobbyist groups. Then we wonder why we end up with populist politician’s promising to fix everything.
“A lot will be assessing new carriers and comparing them to a more well-established group to see if there are differences in safety performance.”
Truly hate the direction the industry is trending