Safety has and will always be the talk of the town as long as vehicles do exist. According to FreightWaves, FMCSA has come up with a new safety fitness test method. As usual, not everyone is happy about the changes. Some feel that the changes are based on data that is too old. They do not see it as fit to determine the fate of a business.
The proposed changes
FMCSA added some studies to determine safety and fitness. Associations representing trucking, truck drivers, manufacturers, and logistics have disputed the changes. They claim that the changes are confusing. They don’t see them as fit to determine safety fitness. They argue that the documents FMCSA refers to have nothing directly to safety fitness.
Those involved are not entirely against having technology help improve safety. They know it would reduce highway fatalities. Their question is whether an unproven AI can be created sufficiently to develop a Safety Fitness Determination. The cost of these new data systems is going to be high. Having enough data and preparing this data will not be a stroll in the park. Most trucking companies are small and would not be able to adapt to the changes. That is the question that no one seems to have an answer to. And therefore, they are not opposing the new rulemaking without some valid doubts. Their issue is that there are lots of grey areas.
FMCSA has requested whether to treat those adapting to the changes more favorably. The most common technology is the crash avoidance system. Those who embrace this technology will be tilting the safety fitness scale towards their company. OOIDA has opposed the request by FMCSA. They argue that only the larger carriers would afford to install this system. Their concerns are valid, and everyone can see the sense.
There needs to be an equal ground regarding safety fitness checks. OOIDA reported that if firms that install the systems are treated favorably, the tiny carriers will suffer greatly. The big problem is that the smaller ones would suffer without a slight drop in their safety fitness. FMCSA cannot ignore the old ways of determining safety fitness. It is not just all about technology. There is more to safety than just that. OOIDA is suggesting that the changes have not been well thought through. They want more research that is all-inclusive.
Supporters of the new approach
Just as usual, a section of the industry supports the new approach. They see that technology would help as an SFD. They see it as a proactive approach. They think that it would help improve road safety. Crash avoidance systems would help avoid most of the road incidents. The changes would create an SFD that would fit the industry in terms of keeping everyone safe.
The priority for everyone in the trucking industry is safety. There are many different approaches to achieving safety. The new proposal is one of the ways. It involves technology that would help avoid crashes. The only challenge is that not everyone can afford to adopt these systems. FMCSA must sit down with all carriers and come to an understanding of the way forward. The livelihood of a business will not be determined by something they can not afford to have.
