CSA 2010 will roll out on November 30, and this week marks the halfway point in Getloaded’s coverage of the seven Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs), which detail the criteria by which all drivers and carriers will be judged. So far, we’ve detailed Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving and Driver Fitness, and are moving on to Controlled Substances/Alcohol. FMCSA defines this BASIC category as “Operation of CMVs by drivers cited in roadside inspections for impairment due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications.”

Unlike the other BASICs, which have many types of violations broken down into several different groups, Controlled Substances/Alcohol has only three errors:

Alcohol Jumping OOS

Violating OOS order pursuant to 392.5(a)/(b): 10

Drugs

Driver uses or is in possession of drugs: 10

Alcohol

Possession/use/under influence alcohol-4hrs prior to duty: 5

Each violation is weighted based on its relationship to crash risk (1 – 10, low to high) and time since its occurrence:

Within the past 12 months: 3

12 – 24 months ago: 2

24 – 36 months ago: 1

The severity and time weightings are multiplied together to calculate the final point total.

Looking at the three possible violations, the Drugs and Alcohol categories are black and white, and pretty easy to understand, but the Alcohol Jumping OOS is as easy to decipher.

Essentially, the 392.5 (a)/(b) section of the rules and regulations penalizes drivers for having any measured concentration of alcohol in their system while on duty or operating a CMV. Alcohol Jumping OOS also prohibits use or influence of alcohol within four hours of operating a vehicle and an on-duty truck driver’s possession of wine, beer or spirits that are not part of a shipment.

While these regulations have been around for years, transportation professionals can expect enforcement and reporting to increase on November 30. And considering that under CSA 2010, a driver caught possessing alcohol this year would be given 30 points (10 severity X 3 time) — the highest possible penalty — we want to make sure our readers know what to look out for, so every choice you make is wise and informed.