Greetings,

It is time for a new CSA violation category: The 10,000 Point Violation. As I begin my spiel I must warn you that the violations described below are:

 Absolutely disgusting... no scratch that..

They are absolutely beyond belief criminal..and disgusting

That is the best way I can describe a CSA violation and correction story I had the misfortune to read about. A Pennsylvania trucking company was taking rejected loads of rotten, yes rotten, milk and selling them to cheese companies. The trucking company was of course aware that the milk was rotten and in an attempt to make the dumbest criminals in America list actually had logbooks marked "not for DOT" which were found during the investigation. I can tell you that marking any book with "not for DOT" is probably going to get read and get you caught. Maybe if they had labeled it "50 misconceptions about financial management, the books would have been left unopened." You might as well put "50 shades of gray" or "Swedish bikini team" on the books since that is the only way you could garner any more attention.

Even more shocking is that while the owner is being prosecuted, the firm will not be shut down. Instead, the company has to implement an "ethics and compliance plan." This part leaves me scratching my head. CSA will shut down companies based on violations THAT could lead to an accident, which is good. Here is a blatant (and yes disgusting ) case of an owner actually endangering tens of thousands of lives with the decision to POISON them.

I am doubtful that a person who poisons thousands of people is really going to learn ethics long enough for me to trust them with my health. I think we need to amend CSA regulations. I have set up a new category below. Thank me later..MyProposed CSA Amendment

POISONING THE PUBLIC

- 10,000 points

In time maybe this violation will get the nickname 'the poison pill.'.... I feel safer already.

http://www.landlinemag.com/Story.aspx?StoryID=23946

I read about a small trucking business owner who went before Congress to talk about how the rating system of the Comprehensive Safety Analysis system has negatively impacted his business. According to the Bizjournal article the trucking owner stated:

"Just a few minor violations can send a score skyrocketing, putting the carrier nearly out of business as it becomes evident no one will employ your services because the system shows you are a risk, even though you operate safely. As a small carrier, I do not have the resources to fight citations and violations in court continuously, and if I should, overturned adjudications are irrelevant to the CSA system anyway, as citations are reflected as as safety violations in the system even when they are overturned in court."

What seems outrageous to me is that after your name is cleared your violation still sits on your CSA record, a record that customers, the Department of Transportation, and insurance companies, WILL penalize you for. If you are accused of a crime and you are acquitted, your record is clear since you are innocent. This system of guilty no matter what and guilty even if your not is going to land the entire industry in a huge Supreme Court Battle.

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/washingtonbureau/2012/07/12/owner-operator-federal-safety-scores.html