• ELD: As defined in 49 CFR 395.2, electronic logging device (ELD) is a device or technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and facilitates the accurate recording of the driver’s hours of service (HOS).
• AOBRD: Carriers with automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRDs) installed prior to Dec. 18, 2017, can take advantage of the grandfathered AOBRDs clause. WARNING: Starting Dec. 16, 2019, these devices will no longer be acceptable.
• RODS: The driver’s record of duty status (RODS), also referred to as the driver log, is the document the driver uses to record his or her on-duty and off-duty time. • Roadside Inspections: Certified inspectors carry out these examinations of commercial motor vehicles and/or drivers to ensure compliance with regulations. They may be conducted a weigh stations, border checkpoints, or if a vehicle is pulled over by a law enforcement official.
• CSA: Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) is the FMCSA program to monitor and enforce safety compliance.
• SMS: The Safety Measurement System (SMS) is the methodology used by the FMCSA to asses a carrier’s safety compliance and on-road performance. A company’s safety data appears online in its SMS database. The FMCSA updates the SMS once a month with data from roadside inspections, including driver and vehicle violations, crash reports, and investigation results. It uses this data to assign CSA scores and prioritize carriers for investigations.
• CSA-SMS Score: The CSA-SMS score is used by the FMCSA to identify unsafe motor carriers and prioritize enforcement based on carriers that pose the greatest safety risk. A carrier’s score is based on data from seven categories: Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance (HM), and Driver Fitness. The SMS assigns a percentile from 0 to 100 (the higher the percentile, the worse the performance).
• HOS: Hours of Service (HOS) regulations are implemented by the FMSCA to limit the working hours of anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle. These rules were designed to eliminate drowsiness in commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers that can lead to crashes.
• OOS Violation: An out-of-service (OOS) violation removes the driver and vehicle from the road and prohibits them from returning until the violation or the malfunction is corrected or fixed. Inspectors may assign OOS violations if the CMV is not equipped with an ELD or if a driver fails to transfer his/her required hours of service data to law enforcement officials.
