HOW CAN I LOWER MY SCORE???????

That’s a question I get from five or six drivers every day. The majority of our folks “get it” about CSA and have adjusted their driving habits accordingly. Unfortunately, we still have a few that think CSA applies to everyone but them. The fact is, CSA is real, it is not going away, and unless you can consistantly get clean inspections you will not survive as a driver. Those who have mastered CSA know that they cannot drive above the posted speed limit (ever), must log legal and current at all times, must secure cargo properly, and must keep up on vehicle maintenance items. Particularly important are brake adjustment, tires, lights and air lines. Bad scores hurt everyone and subject Mercer drivers to more roadside inspections. We have discussed each of the seven BASICs previously. No excuses.

So what happens if you’ve had a bad inspection, or a ticket, or an accident and you’ve run some points up on our system? You can get a handle on your score, there are ways to lower it, but it does require immediate effort and complete commitment to change on your part. Here’s how:

1) Clean inspections. That is key and that is what CSA requires. Whatever is keeping you from getting clean inspections must change. The change must be permanent. Our system gives drivers credit points for clean inspections. Our system is designed to eliminate drivers who can’t get this right;

2) Clean road surveys. I have a service of retired and off-duty police officers who observe and report on our units each month. We look at three shots of speed, three shots of following distance, seat belt use and hands free phone use. Clean road surveys earn drivers credit points. Bad road surveys run up the score. The DOD also road surveys military shipments and they are also scored. Drivers can improve their score here by just doing what they should be doing, driving safely. About forty drivers a month find this out;

3) Additional training/seminars. This year, on Wednesday, March 21, I will conduct three one-hour seminars here at Mercertown. These will start at 1:30 and end in time for everyone to eat at our annual pre-truckshow cookout. All drivers attending these seminars will receive credit points for each;

4) Field Safety Briefings. Every year, beginning in June, I do field LKY inspections at various locations throughout the country. Drivers I inspect also receive various safety material and receive credit points on their scores. Although the exact dates are not yet set, the months and locations are. These are as follows: June, Wichita, KS; July, Stockton, CA; September, Sunbury,PA and Greensburg, PA; October, Arkadelphia, AR and Newberry,SC; November, Tampa, FL. I generally announce the dates of each about one month before the trip;

5) Computerized logs. Although not an EBOR, we have found that drivers who run either Eclipse Logs or Drivers Daily Log on their laptop computers are not having log violations. That is the key to having good CSA scores and this is huge. Because we believe that this is the way drivers should be going, we give credit points to those who run computerized logs. It gets better: Mercer will PAY for the program for any driver who goes to computerized logs by March 31. Yep, we’ll PAY for it. Do it by March 31. For help with this, call Jason, Eric or Gerald in Contractor Relations. Already bought one? Call them about getting reimbursed for that, too. It is important to understand that in the near future I will be requiring repeat log offenders to go to computerized logs to stay at Mercer. That will be at their expense. CSA requires everyone to log legal and current. That is what we will do. Bad habits must change. Drivers who do not share this commitment will not stay at Mercer.

Compliance, Safety, Accountability….CSA. Pay attention to your score. Manage it. Constantly work towards improving it. It can be done. Be safe.

NEW FIELD OFFICES

Mercer Transportation has been blessed with a strong, consistent agent base that works extremely hard to find new accounts as well as strengthen our existing relationships with our customers to increase our market share within our industry.  The majority of our agents throughout the country have been with Mercer for many years, and hopefully we can count on them to continue to grow our business for many more years to come.  With that being said Mercer Transportation can increase our market size within our industry now by supporting some of our newer offices throughout our agent base.

Mercer has added numerous offices across the country over the past year that are willing to work within the guidelines of our system which is based off of area or accounts.  These new offices need help from our drivers to establish a stronger presence within their areas.  Please see below for the prefixes of our newer offices, along with their area and phone number.  Have a great day, and GO MERCER!

SAL – Mobile, AL                               Mace Ritchey                  251-300-6060

CWC – Western Chicago, IL           Brian Cucalich                 312-881-2980

ENC – Wilmington, NC                     Kevin Cunningham        910-777-5730

RHM – Jackson, MS                          Ron Huffman                     601-707-5219

SFI – North Liberty, IA                  Shane Ferrozo                  319-459-1003

PHI – Philadelphia, PA                   Ricky Christensen           610-296-2210

IBS – Riviera Beach, FL                  Ivan Brannon, Jr.            561-822-3408

JSP – West Salem, OH                     Shannon Weber                 419-938-7272

UMT – Johnston, IA                       Jerry Umthun                    515-727-9091

SFD – Sioux Falls, SD                      Kevin Steinert                    651-414-3030

FIB – Baltimore, MD                       Fran Raymond                   888-684-3096

A REMINDER FROM PERMITS

REMINDER – Your IFTA sticker and permit expire on February 28, 2012.  Please make sure you have the stickers on your truck and the permit in your permit book before this date.

 

Driver Appreciation Day.

Ron Jonke our traveling Contractor Relations Advocate is going to be at the Little Sisters Truck Wash 2960 Lenwood Road  Barstow, CA 92311-9571
(760) 253-2277 on FEB 23rd from 11:30am to 16:30 for a Driver Appreciation Day. So if you are out that way please join him and the other Mercer Family fo the festivities in Barstow CA. Thank you guys and have a great day.

CSA: CRASH

This is our last BASIC in the CSA series. The CSA Crash BASIC is all about accidents. The score is based upon motor carrier accident “involvement”, not whose fault it was. Hopefully the FMCSA will spend more time looking at fault in the future, but for now motor carriers are stuck with it the way it is. It is important to understand that for an accident to show on CSA it must be a “recordable” accident per 390.5. It must result in a fatality; bodily injury to a person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene of the accident; or one more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as a result of the accident, requring the motor vehicles to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicle.

Fortunately, we don’t have many accidents at Mercer, compared to our size and the number of miles we run. Most of the accidents at Mercer involve animal strikes or someone else hitting us at a truckstop. Nearly three-fourths of our accidents are non-preventable. That is a credit to all of our drivers’ commitment to keeping the highways safe. Most of these accidents to not meet the “recordable” standard of the FMCSA.

When our drivers do make mistakes and have preventable accidents, they generally fall into two categories: Improper lane change or following too closely. Both usually cause extensive property damage and injury to other motorists. They are difficult and expensive to settle. They can be career-ending for a driver. It is imperative that every driver drives defensively at all times. Don’t speed, don’t tailgate. When a lane change must be made, signal and use extreme caution. Check mirrors often and have enough mirrors to give multiple views down both sides of the truck. Get into the practice of backing off and don’t get caught up in other folk’s driving mistakes. Be patient.

CSA is all about reducing highway injuries and fatalities. In my opinion, at the end of the day, the most important BASIC on CSA is this one. Unsafe motor carriers have large numbers of accidents. Safe motor carriers do not. Mercer drivers are the best and everyone works hard to reduce the number of accidents our company has. I am proud of all of you for the great job you do. Keep up the good work. Be safe.

Thank you Mercer Contractors!!!

Hi everyone. I wanted to take some time this morning and thank you all for being who you are. Thank you for making Mercer what it is today. We appreciate all of you being here, working hard for yourselves and for the Company. Taking care of our customers (without which you and I wouldn’t be here.) For being courteous and professional out on the road and helping each other out to get the job done. Without all of this we couldn’t survive. It is a struggle everyday out there with all the new laws, rules and regulations that are taking place. But if we can stick together and keep the “Family” attitude that we have had for so many years I believe we can enjoy the benefits of the decisions we make today for many more years to come.

So Thank You Mercer Contractors for all you do. You are the BEST!!!!

GO MERCER!!!!!

CSA: CARGO BASIC

Mercer folks, I apologize for not being able to write every day and to respond to some of the great comments and thoughts I’ve seen on the various posts. I appreciate everyone’s input and do read them all. We’ve got folks that really think things out and I value that. My schedule does get kind of crazy sometimes and I can’t talk to everyone. Fortunately, the Mercer Family is a large one. Unfortunately, that means that there is always a lot going on and there aren’t enough hours in the day. It is important, however, that everybody understand CSA and keep it in mind every trip. It is a game changer and it requires greater attention to detail from everyone. As you know, everything counts: tickets, warnings, out of service violations and non-out of service violations. Everything.

By the way, I don’t think I mentioned what BASIC stands for. Here it is, “Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Category.” Wow, can’t government come up with some catchy names? That’s your tax dollars at work. Let’s talk about cargo.

Cargo includes the securement of items being transported. Simple stuff. It includes having the correct paperwork for the load. Hazardous material placarding, paperwork and placement is also included in the Cargo BASIC. If you operate an open deck trailer, you are expected to master cargo securement. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations have specific rules concerning cargo securement. There are no shortcuts. You’ve got to read, and know, the regulations. They start at 393.100 and go through 393.136. Be sure you read the definitions in 393.5, as well. Van people also need to know this stuff.

Usually, when violations occur, it is due to laziness on the part of the driver. Let me repeat that, boys and girls: Usually, when violations occur, it is due to laziness on the part of the driver. I call ‘em like I see ‘em, guys and that is what I see most of the time. There are things like cut straps, not enough securement for the cargo length, putting one strap on pallets that need two straps, not checking load securement and letting chains or straps get loose, not putting edge protection on straps, using straps instead of chains or chains instead of straps, not having enough working load limit securement for the weight of the cargo. Observable defects. If the officer sees it, it goes on the report and scores the driver, and Mercer, 27-30 points. Improper cargo securement is a big deal under CSA, and it should be. If the load falls off, bad things happen.

The same thing is true about Hazmat. Most of our problems come from having torn placards or having a placard blow off. Are you kidding me? Who lets that happen? I saw one writeup where the driver was being inspected with a hazmat load and was written up for smoking. Really? This is the stuff that isn’t about how evil CSA is. It is just dumb (that’s a trucking term, it means, “DUMB”). I hear a lot of comments about CSA putting people out of business. And yes, I think everyone will tell you that there are problems with CSA, including the FMCSA. But proper cargo securement has been a requirement in this industry long before CSA. If you do not secure cargo properly, you’ll put yourself out of business. CSA just makes it happen quicker.

Good cargo securement is one part knowledge of the regulations, one part experience, and a big dose of common sense. But you’ve got to have all three to get it right. There are no shortcuts in securing your freight. Take the time to do it right. Ask if you’re not sure. This is important stuff. Be safe.

Just an FYI for the NJ Parkways.

 

This is just an FYI for those of you who might be traveling this area.

In New Jersey and New York, the rule is NO TRUCKS ON PARKWAYS. Trucks are to use expressways, not parkways. Parkways have low bridges and no commercial vehicles or trailers are allowed in most places. The Garden State Parkway in New Jersey south of the Jersey City area does allow trucks. Traveling from the Jersey City area to…

CARB TRUCK REGISTRATION DEADLINE

CARB has extended the deadline to register your 96-99 engine to the end of March.  If you don’t have a clue what I am talking about, click on this link here: http://mercertownblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/how-long-will-my-truck-be-legal-in-california/.

If you have an engine that was produced between 96-99, you have to register your equipment on the CARB website by March 30, 2012.