29/01/2023
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) both have the goal of ensuring safety on the roads and in the skies, respectively.
Adopting the same requirements of the FAA's System Operations Performance Analysis (SOPA) for commercial driver's license (CDL) drivers would likely help to improve safety for all road users. Some specific reasons why the FMCSA should adopt the same requirements as the FAA's SOPA for CDL drivers may include:
The FAA's SOPA program is widely recognized as a rigorous and effective safety program, and adopting similar requirements for CDL drivers would help to ensure that they meet the same high standards for safety and competence.
The FAA's SOPA program includes regular performance evaluations and training, which can help to identify and address any issues that may arise with CDL drivers. These issues can also be addressed within the DOT Physical with a simple modification to ask if the Prosthetic device is operational as prescribed by the doctor, and allowed the driver to self certify.
This can help to ensure that they are always operating at their highest level of skill and knowledge.
By adopting the same requirements as the FAA's SOPA program, the FMCSA can help to ensure that CDL drivers are held to the same standards as pilots and other aviation professionals. This can help to promote a culture of safety and accountability among CDL drivers, which can help to reduce the number of accidents and incidents on the road.
If the FMSCA would adopt the same requirements as the FAA's SOPA for CDL drivers, this would help to ensure that they are held to the same rigorous standards for safety and competence as pilots and other aviation professionals, which can ultimately help to improve safety on the roads.
Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have different regulatory responsibilities and thus have different requirements for commercial drivers, there are several reasons why the FMCSA may want to consider adopting similar requirements to the FAA's Safety Management System for Operators of Part 135 (SMS 135) program for commercial drivers.
SMS 135 is a proactive, data-driven safety management program that has been shown to improve safety outcomes for Part 135 operators.
SMS 135 is designed to encourage self-regulation, which can help promote compliance with regulations and industry best practices.
SMS 135 can help identify and correct safety issues before they lead to accidents or incidents, reducing the risk of harm to drivers, passengers, and the general public.
SMS 135 can help commercial drivers and companies improve their safety culture, leading to more efficient operations and a better reputation in the industry.
It should be noted that the FMCSA has their own SMS program for the motor carriers called CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) which is similar in concept but has different implementation and requirements. These time intervals put undue burden on drivers to maintain additional steps to the standard DOT Physical of seeing a specialist to sign off on paperwork that has already been approved within the initial application process.
In summary, adopting the same requirements as the FAA's SOPA for CDL drivers would help to ensure that they are held to the same rigorous standards for safety and competence as pilots and other aviation professionals, which can ultimately help to improve safety on the roads. Finally, it would help with standardization and creating a level of consistency across all transportation sectors, making it easier for CDL drivers to move between different types of jobs or industries and reduce the administrative burden created by the current processes.
Roger Mackbach
Founder
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