Like last week’s Vehicle Maintenance post, we continue our CSA 2010 coverage with Cargo-Related, another BASIC that focuses more on how safely companies are trucking freight than on drivers’ actual behavior and health. The FMCSA defines the Cargo-Related BASIC as “Failure to properly prevent shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, overloading, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials on a CMV.”

This BASIC has more potential violations than any other, so compliance with these regulations depends on diligence and careful attention to many details of how your cargo is cared for and secured. The violations are weighted based on their relationship to crash risk (1 – 10, low to high) and broken into nine groups, detailed below with sample infractions and their corresponding scores:

HM Other

Poison label loaded with foodstuffs: 1

Documentation

No written emergency discharge procedures — compressed gas: 1

Markings

Elevated temperature not marked "Hot": 1

Fraudulent Behavior

Representing a packaging under a false exemption: 1

Cargo Protection

Transporting hazardous waste not properly prepared for shipment: 1

Package Integrity

Improperly fitted pressure relief devices: 2

Load Securement

Using a tool likely to cause damage to the closure of any package or container: 10

Fire Hazard

Transporting class 1 explosive in vehicle with sharp projections: 2

Other Cargo

Parking brake not set while loading/unloading: 7

Like Vehicle Maintenance, weighting for each violation is calculated using an equation that compares the:

• Number of violations,
• Time since their occurrence,
• Severity of each violation, and
• Number of relevant inspections. 

As the full rollout of CSA 2010 on November 30 gets closer, we want to ensure all drivers and carriers are prepared. Our coverage of the BASICs wraps up next week, but we will continue to keep you informed about new CSA 2010 developments as they occur.

And as always, if you have any questions or comments, please let us know!