As we have reported before, ICSA was asked to join with many other industry organizations in promoting a Beyond Compliance program with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Other groups that promoted the program include the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), and other safety-related industry groups
As background, in 2015, Congress required FMCSA to establish a “Beyond Compliance” program that would provide motor carriers “credit” on their Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores for adopting tools, technologies and programs that exceed minimum regulatory compliance and improve safety. While the FMCSA has held hearings and requested public input on which safety tools to include in the program, nothing of substance has been accomplished within the agency in the intervening years.
ICSA believes that carriers that operate safely should be rewarded and that FMCSA should offer real incentives for carriers to take steps to operate safely without the government mandating those steps. To push the federal government in that direction, ICSA is proud to join with the other groups to show the agency that (1) safety tools obtain safety results and (2) carriers who adopt such tools should receive the “credit” to their CSA scores mandated by Congress for using those tools. ICSA is the only association representing small carriers to be involved in the demonstration program, using data from its own safety programs to show that these tools work for small carriers to reduce risk and crashes.
As the demonstration program proceeds, ICSA will remain involved and provide updates to our members.
For truckers, testing for marijuana continues. Just as with testing for cocaine, amphetamines, PCP, and opioids, testing for marijuana will continue to be conducted on a pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, and return-to-duty basis.
As temperatures rise, so do the risks associated with tires, brakes, and overall vehicle condition. Summer heat doesn’t just stress drivers, it amplifies mechanical weaknesses, making maintenance and inspections more important than ever.
The 2026 road construction season is going to be one of the largest in U.S. history and anyone using the roads should be prepared for what’s coming.