CSA: Shipper Challenges and Opportunities

Most industry observers agree that CSA (Compliance, Safety, and Accountability, formerly known as CSA 2010) will dramatically affect the motor carrier industry in the United States. Its implementation is currently slated to begin in late 2010, with further rules going into effect over the next 12 to 18 months. This white paper looks at what CSA is designed to do, how it differs from the former safety program, and how it could potentially impact carriers and shippers. It’s important to note that CSA has not yet been fully implemented. For now, shippers should learn about the proposed rules and consider their options, then be flexible to make the appropriate changes to their supply chains as the final version of CSA goes into effect.

Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (formerly known as CSA 2010, and now referred to simply as CSA) is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative designed to assess and improve the safety performance of motor carriers and drivers so there are fewer crashes, injuries, and fatalities. Through CSA’s new enforcement and compliance model, the FMCSA and its state partners intend to contact a larger number of carriers earlier in order to address safety problems before crashes occur.