SMS data shows serious flaws in methodology   

We have been analyzing CSA/SMS data posted on the FMCSA web site and have found some interesting and disturbing results that cast significant doubts on the effectiveness of the SMS methodology. First, the data is incomplete. Only 12% of all carriers are even measured by the system. There are about 770,000 carriers in the FMCSA downloadable SMS results. Of those, only 325,000 have even had a recorded inspection in the last two years or only 42% of carriers. Several inspections are required before an SMS score or percentage is reported and only 92,000 carriers have even a single score on one of the five publicly available BASICs. So 92,000 out of 770,000 carriers are being measured by the system. That is a paltry 12%. What about the other 88%?

Second, and more important, the SMS methodology indicates that over half of all measured carriers have scores above the intervention threshold on at least one BASIC. To suggest that over half of the available carriers have some deficiency in safety is absurd and flies in the face of the data showing the dramatic reduction in trucking accidents and fatalities per million miles. Over 51,000 of the 92,000 measured carriers have a score that exceeds the arbitrary thresholds established by the FMCSA. The agency is, at best, disingenuous in its claims that a much smaller percentage of carriers exceed the FMCSA limbo bars. They are comparing the 51,000 “golden triangle” carriers to a total of 500,000 or so carriers.

Finally, and most important, we know from the fine work of Anthony Gallo at Wells Fargo that there is no correlation between BASIC scores and accidents per million miles.

Shippers and brokers should not be using this flawed system to select carriers. The FMCSA needs to change its approach before many small businesses (carriers) are damaged or destroyed.

If you want to support my efforts to get sensible changes to CSA/SMS, starting with removal of SMS scores from the FMCS web site, please visit ASECTT and indicate your support for my letter to Congress.