Bad FMCSA scores... are they the trucking companies fault or are the drivers to blame

YES!

Exactly who gets blamed....depends on which side is talking!!!

 

Being in TN, and seeing who you are already asking about....Covenant, USX....those "scores" won't give you any "foresight" into how good their training program is.

My advice would be...get you (and your wife) moving in the industry with whichever training company, then at your leisure, and with some personal experience in this industry, your choice on how to manage your future will be better discovered.

Take the first step, learn how to learn....remember, in this industry, the learning never stops! Don't let yourself fall into that "know-it-all" trap!

 

Well it's something that not a lot of people want to hear, but ultimately it rests squarely with the driver.

Sure there are companies that still aren't using E-Logs that force their drivers to drive over HoS by threatening their jobs. Sure there are companies that refuse to fix anything with their equipment. But bottom line is as a driver you're ultimately in control of whether you choose to drive illegally or operate unsafe/OOS"able" equipment. There are thousands upon thousands of trucking companies some good, some bad, some downright evil, but there really isn't a single category of the BASIC or the FMCSA Scores that doesn't directly relate to being directly the driver's responsibility. Either not caring, too lazy to Pre-Trip Equipment, or just unwilling to say "No" to the place they work at and find a job someplace else.

 

I have a different spin on these. I say they are direct reflection of the carriers management style. Point: Drivers are paid cheap and everyone likes a big check. The rabbit will run as fast as you drag the carrot. High scores indicate loose regs at the carrier. Pay close attention to the HOS/ fitness score. Inspection score tells you how he takes care of his stuff.

Remember this; customers can see this too and so can the scales. Keep the comparison apples to apples when selecting a carrier and then use the score, same as they do when looking at you.

JMO

 

Look at Western Express out of Nashville...wow.

 

It's like football.

The team owner hires a good coaching staff, fork out major bucks for the best players anywhere. With a good coaching staff and the best players available, the owner is expecting to have a great season.

But what if the owner decides to save money and recruit the players who weren't talented enough to start n school...should he expect a winning record? When the team has a losing season, should anyone be surprised?

if the trucking companies were NFL teams, they would be overjoyed to have an 0-11 season. So w