Tech Bri e f FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

FMCSA Contact: Albert Alvarez, MC-RRR, 202-385-2387 

Effective Commercial Truck and Bus
 

Safety Management Techniques
 

Background 

This Tech Brief is a review of the synthesis study, “Effective Commercial Truck 

and Bus Safety Management Techniques,” published by the Transportation 

Research Board (TRB) and sponsored by Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA). This synthesis study identified major safety 

management problems of concern to motor carrier (large truck and bus) safety 

managers and other industry experts. More importantly, it described available 

approaches to enhanced safety, cited evidence for their effectiveness, and generated 

hypotheses for new research and development (R&D) on commercial truck and bus 

fleet safety management practices. Truck driving is the most hazardous occupation 

in the United States; more than 5,000 fatalities occur annually in truck crashes, and 

per-vehicle crash costs for tractor-trailers are more than four times those of other 

vehicle types. 

Many commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety managers are former drivers who 

have moved up “through the ranks” to a management position. Many progressed 

from being independent owner-operators to owning and managing their own fleet. 

Safety, proficiency, and productivity as a driver are likely to be factors that enable 

these individuals to progress to fleet ownership or a management position. The 

lessons they have learned on the job are applied to their management of others. 

However, many CMV safety managers have not had formal training in 

management, system safety, or the human factors of driving safety. Thus, their 

effectiveness as safety managers is likely to vary widely, with gaps in their 

knowledge of various safety problems or available management solutions. A 

necessary step toward making such knowledge available to carrier safety managers 

is the systematic compilation of information relating to CMV safety management 

and the establishment of a common body of knowledge to serve as the basis for 

improved training for managers or other means of disseminating safety 

management information to them. 

Scope 

The scope of the study included safety management issues and approaches 

applicable to CMV transportation. The research project focused on the “what” and 

the “how” of CMV safety management. “What” referred to the principal safety 

issues, problems, or sources of crash risk that must be addressed by CMV safety 

management practices. This included deficiencies in driver skills, knowledge, or 

safety behavior; fatigue and other sources of impairment; physical and medical 

problems, attitudes, morale, and turnover; vehicle inspection and maintenance; and 

the problem of high risk drivers associated with any of these problem areas. 

“How” referred to the techniques and approaches employed. In some cases, there 

was a one-to-one correspondence between issues and approaches; thus, for 

example, CMV driver fatigue was addressed as an issue, while fatigue 

management programs were addressed as safety management approaches. In most 

cases, however, the techniques and approaches applied to more than one specific 

safety issue. 

Programs of the Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

encompass a range of issues and 

disciplines, all related to motor carrier 

and bus safety and security. FMCSA's 

Office of Research and Analysis, which 

includes the Research, Technology, 

and Analysis Divisions, defines a 

"research program" as any systematic 

study directed toward fuller scientific 

discovery, knowledge, or understanding that will improve safety, and reduce 

the number and severity of commercial 

motor vehicle crashes. Similarly, a 

"technology program" is a program that 

adopts, develops, tests, and/or deploys 

innovative driver and/or vehicle best 

safety practices and technologies that 

will improve safety and reduce the 

number and severity of commercial 

motor vehicle crashes. An "analysis 

program" is defined as economic and 

environmental analyses done for the 

agency's rulemakings, as well as 

program effectiveness studies, statereported data quality initiatives, and 

special crash and other motor carrier 

safety performance-related analyses. 

A “large truck” is any truck with a 

Gross Vehicle Weight rating or Gross 

Combination Weight rating of 10,001 

pounds or greater. 

Currently, FMCSAs Analysis, Research 

and Technology Divisions are 

conducting programs in order to 

produce safer drivers, improve safety of 

commercial motor vehicles, produce 

safer carriers, advance safety through 

information-based initiatives, and 

improve security through safety 

initiatives. The study described in this 

Tech Brief was designed and developed 

to support the strategic objective to 

produce safer carriers. The primary 

goals of this initiative are to support 

efforts to improve carrier safety by 

applying safety management principles, 

compiling best management practices, 

communicating best practices, and 

supporting the Agency's enforcement of 

carrier-related regulations. 

Office of Research and Analysis 

400 Virginia Ave., SW 

Suite 600 

Washington, DC 20024
 
Principally, this research project related to CMV operations that transport cargo or passengers in 

interstate commerce, and to which the FMCSRs are applicable. However, the synthesis did not primarily 

address the management of compliance with Federal and other motor carrier safety regulations. In the 

research project, regulatory compliance was viewed as an essential prerequisite for safe commercial 

vehicle operations, but not as sufficient to ensure safe operations. It was assumed that active safety 

management approaches going beyond compliance are necessary to achieve high operational safety. 

CMV safety management is a broad and loosely defined topic. This research project was not intended to 

address the broad spectrum of motor carrier safety issues. In particular, the research project did not 

address government or industry policy issues. 

Safety: Problems and Management Methods 

This research project focused on motor carrier fleet safety management, namely the problems fleet 

managers confront and the methods that are available to address these problems. The authors conducted 

a literature review, held discussions and did interviews with experts, and solicited suggestions from the 

TRB synthesis panel. Twenty discrete safety problems and 28 safety management methods were 

identified based on this research information and the knowledge and experience of the authors. 

Problems addressed encompassed driver safety, knowledge, skills, behaviors, alertness, physical/medical 

condition, and attitudes. In addition, several vehicle-related problem areas, such as vehicle maintenance 

and inspection, were considered. Major safety management approaches addressed included: 

z Driver recruiting 

z Selection 

z Carrier-based training 

z Management-driver communications 

z Driver safety-performance evaluation 

z Safety incentives 

z Behavior-based safety 

z On-board safety monitoring 

z Event-data recorders 

z Accident investigation 

z Improved driver scheduling and dispatching 

z Fatigue management 

z Carrier-based medical programs 

z Preventive maintenance and vehicle inspection 

z Advanced safety technologies 

z Industry-based safety standards and certification 

The following table lists the most important safety problems cited by fleet safety managers and other 

expert respondents: 

Rating Fleet Safety Managers Other Expert Respondents 

1
 At-risk driving behaviors (such as speeding 

and tailgating) High-risk drivers (all causes combined) 

2
 High-risk drivers (all causes combined) Driver fatigue/drowsiness 

3
 

4
 

5
 

6
 

Driver health and wellness, lifestyle, and 

general health 

Lack of defensive driving skills 

Delays associated with loading and unloading 

(resulting in long working hours) 

Driver fatigue/drowsiness 

At-risk driving behaviors (such as speeding 

and tailgating) 

Delays associated with loading and unloading 

(resulting in long working hours) 

Driver turnover resulting in unstable 

workforce 

Driver health and wellness, lifestyle, and 

general health [tie] 

7
 Aggressive driving (“road rage”) Sleep apnea [tie] 
Rating Fleet Safety Managers Other Expert Respondents 

1 Regularly scheduled vehicle inspection and 

maintenance 

Continuous tracking of drivers’ 

crashes/incidents/violations 

2 Hiring based on criteria related to driver crash, 

violation, or incident history 

Hiring based on criteria related to driver crash, 

violation, or incident history [4-way tie] 

3 Continuous tracking of drivers’ 

crashes/incidents/violations 

Apprenticeship and “finishing” programs for 

new drivers [4-way tie] 

4 Requiring that new hires meet or exceed a 

minimum number of years of driving experience 

Standardized training for all new hires [4-way 

tie] 

5 Crash and incident investigation by carrier 

management 

Regular refresher training for all drivers 

[4-way tie] 

6 Standardized training for all new hires Remedial training programs for problem drivers 

7 Within carrier management, alignment of 

operational and safety functions Fatigue management programs 

Much of the information for the study was collected through survey questionnaires from fleet safety 

managers and other experts in motor carrier safety. Safety manager surveys were distributed primarily 

through industry trade associations (to their safety council members). The “other expert” survey was 

distributed through professional organizations, to attendees at recent motor carrier safety conferences, 

and to colleagues of the authors. Two parallel survey forms were used; one for current CMV fleet safety 

managers (139 respondents) and one for other experts in motor carrier safety (57 respondents). For the 

problem areas, the key question was “importance.” For the methods, it was “effectiveness.” 

The following table lists the most effective safety methods cited by fleet safety manager and the other 

expert respondents: 

There are many different safety problems that need to be addressed, and many worthwhile management 

techniques that can contribute to enhanced fleet safety. The project team selected four study topics for 

more in-depth discussion, which were regarded as areas of great safety opportunity for truck and bus 

transportation. For all four topics, research literature and other information about the industry indicated 

that significant safety gains are possible by focusing on the issue or employing the safety management 

methodology. The topics identified were driver health, wellness, and lifestyle; high risk drivers; 

behavioral safety management; and safety management professionalism. 

The first two topics are problem areas receiving high importance ratings in the survey and for which 

there is also strong research evidence and industry consensus that highlights their importance. The 

second two are general approaches to improved safety management, both of which involve various 

specific techniques. Although all of these topics were not frequently practiced by safety manager 

respondents nor rated among the most effective methods in the survey, there is much scientific literature 

and other rationales to indicate they could have a significant positive impact on the CMV industry if 

employed. These four topics (and others) provide many R&D needs and opportunities for government, 

industry, and academia. A common theme of this discussion of R&D needs was that motor carrier safety 

management must be elevated to a mature science which conducts sophisticated studies to elucidate and 

quantify risk factors, develops more innovative and comprehensive methods, and experimentally 

compares and evaluates these methods in fleet-based safety intervention studies. 
Conclusion
 

The synthesis study concluded with recommendations for R&D that might be 

performed to create new knowledge and tools to address specific issues and safety 

opportunities identified in the synthesis. Both “research” and “development” were 

conceived broadly and may include many different types of initiatives undertaken 

by various parties and stakeholders involved in motor carrier safety. 

Availability: The synthesis report
 

"Effective Commercial Truck and
 

Bus Safety Management" is
 

available at the Transportation
 

Research Board and can be found
 

at www.trb.org.
 

Key Words: Bus Safety, Carrier
 

Safety, Motorcoach Safety, Safety
 

Management, Truck Safety
 

Notice: This Tech Brief is
 

disseminated under the
 

sponsorship of the Department of
 

Transportation in the interest of
 

information exchange. The Tech
 

Brief provides a synopsis of the
 

study’s final publication. The Tech
 

Brief does not establish policies or
 

regulations, nor does it imply
 

USDOT endorsement of the
 

conclusions or recommendations.
 

The U.S. Government assumes no
 

liability for its contents or their use.
 

Web Site: FMCSA Tech and
 

Analysis Briefs may be accessed at
 

www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
 

Technical Writer: 

Michael Lang
 

C2 Technologies, Inc.
 

February 2007 

Publication No. FMCSA-MCRRR-07-006