Page 11 - ATR 1 2014 web

NewS IN BrIef

aTa BIdS farewell To KIdd CoNflICTINg reporTS STUdy and chief of national advocacy.
After serving CSa aCCUraCy, faIrNeSS Following the release of the GAO
as president of the Days following the release of a findings, the FMCSA published a
Arkansas Trucking study conducted by the Government study that was conducted by the Volpe
Association (ATA) for Accountability Office (GAO) revealed Center, the research arm of the U.S.
22 years, Lane Kidd significant flaws in the Compliance, Transportation Department. Both were
announced in a joint Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, launched nationally in 2010 to identify
statement with ATA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety and prioritize motor carriers that pose
plans to leave the organization to devote Administration (FMCSA) released its the highest threat to public safety for
his full energies to The Kidd Group, own study findings to the contrary. enforcement interventions.
LLC, a business investment and public The GAO report, “Modifying the Researchers analyzed the
affairs firm he created in 2013. Compliance, Safety, Accountability association between a carrier’s history
“I’ve wanted to pursue my own Program Would Improve the Ability to and its future crash involvement by
projects for some time now and there Identify High Risk Carriers,” supports taking two years of pre-SMS safety
are many opportunities out there, so many of the objections cited by the pro- data for a group of carriers, applying
this feels like a good time to say good- gram’s critics, including: Inconsistency their risk-indicator formula and then
bye to the ATA,” said Lane Kidd. “My between states’ inspection and enforce- following those companies’ crash
career as ATA president has been a phe- ment practices; Weak association of records for 18 months.
nomenal experience, and I’m handing Safety Measurement System (SMS) “Results show that…79 percent
the keys over with ATA looking much scores to crash risk; Indications that of the carriers that SMS would have
better than it did 22 years ago.” a minority of carriers in a single SMC ranked as high risk in at least one of
The Kidd Group will operate in group are responsible for all crashes in the seven safety categories it monitors,
Washington, D.C. and Arkansas provid- that group; among other concerns. had higher future crash rates compared
ing business services in the transporta- “SMS is intended to provide a safe- to those it would not have identified,”
tion industry. ty measure for individual carriers, and FMCSA said.
Gary Salisbury, chairman and CEO FMCSA has not demonstrated relation- The American Trucking
of Fikes Truck Line in Hope, Ark., and ships between groups of violations and Associations criticized the FMCSA for
ATA chairman, said Kidd put the ATA the risk that an individual motor carrier “issuing an overly rosy self-assessment”
on the map. “During Lane’s tenure, he will crash,” the GAO report stated. of CSA following the GAO report.
has taken a relatively unknown group Leaders at American Trucking ATA noted the FMCSA assessment
of truckers and propelled us to the front Associations (ATA) praised the GAO mirrored GAO’s findings with respect
of the line. The ATA is known across review as “comprehensive, thought- to the limited amount of data available
the country as a leader and an example ful and balanced,” and called on the on smaller carriers, and despite the fact
for other associations to strive for. As agency to make immediate changes to that fleets with five or fewer trucks
chairman of the ATA, I speak for the the program. represented 75 percent of the carriers
Board of Directors when I say that Lane “Since scores are so often unreli- in the study, the authors acknowledged
will be missed and we wish him success able, third parties are prone to making that there is very little available safety
as he starts his newest pursuits.” erroneous judgments based on inac- information on these carriers to “make
Salisbury said the ATA will curate data, an inequity that can only a meaningful safety assessment.”
announce plans to name a replacement be solved in the near term by removing
soon. the scores from public view,” says Dave
Osiecki, ATA executive vice president 

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