Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) has changed the way the federal government calculates carrier safety scores. As a result, fleets and owner-operators are likely to pay greater attention to truck and trailer maintenance items both over-the-road and at the terminal, which will likely create new opportunities for service centers at the nation’s truckstops and travel plazas and their suppliers.
The NATSO Foundation uncovered this trend as part of its report Chart Your Future: Trends Affecting the Travel Plaza and Truckstop Industry. Being aware of these trends can help industry suppliers better meet their customers’ current and upcoming needs.
CSA breaks violations down into seven areas, called BASICs, and weights the violations. Now minor violations will accrue points, and drivers have a vested interest in the safety of their equipment because violations will follow drivers through the Pre-employment Screening Program that was mandated by Congress. Potential employers, with the driver’s written permission, can go into that system to see a driver’s past roadside inspection and crash violations across carriers.
Locations are also likely to see an increase in their roadside service calls as drivers demand immediate attention for known defects.
Most shop repair results in the sale of a product, whether it be oil and fluids or mud flaps and mirrors. To better meet customers’ needs and increase sales, truckstop and travel plaza operators are currently working to educate their fleet customers and individual drivers on CSA. Several locations are holding informational sessions and distributing literature.
Many fleets and drivers are still learning about CSA, so the opportunity to boost shop sales is expected to continue to grow.
To learn more about this and other industry trends, suppliers can read the full trend study, which will be available later this year.
{HBM} Highway Business Matters is a brief semi-monthly newsletter created exclusively for companies that provide products or services to the truckstop and travel plaza industry. Highway Business Matters will keep you informed on trends, tactics, and tips to help you connect to the $65 billion truckstop and travel plaza industry.
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