FMCSA Website Previews Proposed CSA Changes

Screenshot of FMCSA's preview site for proposed SMS changes.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced a set of proposed changes to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program and is seeking comment on the proposals via a special website it's set up to show motor carriers how the changes would affect their safety ratings.

The notice, published in the Federal Register for Oct. 5, lays out the enhancements the agency want to make to information on its public Safety Measurement System (SMS) website. It also responds to comments FMCSA has received in response to its earlier notice (published on June 29, 2015) on proposed future SMS enhancements.

While the Federal Register announcement responds to comments received following the June 29, 2015, notice, no changes will be implemented in the public SMS website display until after completion of the National Academies of Sciences Correlation Study, as required by the FAST Act highway bill.

The two newly proposed changes call for increasing the minimum number of crashes needed for determining whether a carrier receives a score in the Crash Indicator BASIC from two to three and assigning BASIC percentile ratings only to carriers that have had an inspection with a violation in the past year vs. within the current 24-month period.

The proposed enhancements are now available for previewing on the special website. FMCSA is seeking public comment on the changes based on viewing the preview site. Comments must be received by December 3, 2016.

FMCSA also said it will be holding public sessions at which industry stakeholders will be able to ask questions about the proposed SMS enhancements and the preview site.

To support the Q&A sessions, FMCSA has developed a video presentation that outlines the proposed changes and how to use the preview website. Before joining an online Q&A session, participants ...Read the rest of this story

TMW Systems Creates ConnectedDock App for TruckMate TMS

ConnectedDock is a new Android App from TMW Systems for TruckMate TMS users designed to help fleets streamline dock operations, minimize shipping errors and reduce lost revenue from incorrect weights, dimensions and OS&D.

The app was introduced at the PeopleNet and TMW in.sight User Conference and Expo in Nashville, Tenn.

The app is designed for use with commercial-grade, Android-based handheld scanners and can streamline key processes like unloading, data collection, loading through trips/ partial unloads, freight receiving and OS&D documentation. ConnectedDock features advanced logic and a user-friendly interface designed to be used in a dock environment.

By accelerating and automating data collection, ConnectedDock enables users to more frequently re-weigh and re-dimension shipments and prompt billing adjustments in the back office. Carriers can establish rules to require or skip re-weighs/re-dimensions on specific customers' shipments, by type of freight and/or other criteria. The app also reduces the time needed to document overs, shorts and damaged shipments, and includes an integrated camera to associate images and related data with the appropriate freight bill.

ConnectedDock can help minimize cases of misdirected freight by issuing an error message when the user tries to load the wrong trailer. A timesaving “predictive cross-docking” capability automatically directs the worker to the appropriate destination dock when he or she unloads each shipment.

The app also offers a “Quick Unload” feature that allows the user to scan, unload and hold freight at the dock to quickly free up a door for an incoming load. The held freight can then be validated and moved to the appropriate locations when time permits.

Fleet managers also can use the new app to aggregate and analyze performance data and identify opportunities to further improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Related: TMW Systems, PeopleNet Hold First Joint User Conference

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