The rumors of CSA driving a lot of drivers out of trucking may or may not be true; we won't know that for a few years. But it's safe to say, things will never be the same. Given this new reality, it would probably be a good idea. Recruiters really need to start taking a hard look at each driver's scores and in which BASIC they are deficient. I think what's most important is to look at each driver closely so that you can manage your at-risk drivers more aggressively if you do hire them on. In the case of a driver where maintenance issues may have been the cause of a lot of their points, maybe it's the carrier that is responsible for those points rather than the driver. But if the carrier looking to hire that driver on has an aggressive PM program, that driver might be a good fit, even though they have a high CSA score. That's an example of how digging deeper into the reasons behind certain percentiles can help a carrier get a better handle on a driver's capabilities and maybe expand their driver applicant pool.And if they are deficient in some other area, they could still be a good addition, as long as the carrier is aware that they have some risk issues and they act accordingly. That could mean providing that driver with extra training and making sure that they keep a close eye on their performance. Carriers shouldn't automatically disqualify drivers based solely on their raw CSA scores. They need to really hone in on where each driver is deficient. That would allow the carrier to use that information not just as a disqualification tool, but also as a management tool, where they'll be able to look at the information about each driver and, when they're brought on board, use it as a guide for how they coach that driver to improve in certain areas. I see the drivers' CSA scores and the pre-employment screening database as a way for carriers to more proactively and aggressively manage their risk to ensure that they're running a safe fleet and avoid scenarios that will adversely affect their company score.

Having the ability to target potential hires, based on their background and work experience, provides fleets with much better insight into what they will bring to your organization. Depending on where those their high percentiles lie will determine whether that particular driver will be a good fit for a particular company.
For example, a company running general freight might not have an issue with a driver that has a lot of cargo related points, but it might be a huge issue for a carrier running a lot of flatbeds. So just looking at their overall points isn't going to give you the complete picture of a driver's strengths and weaknesses, carriers really need to take a close look at where a driver's points are coming from and where the at-risk percentiles are.

Having access to information on drivers' employment history, particularly through the Pre-employment Screening Program, provides fleets with greater visibility and transparency about each driver and how bringing them in will impact their fleet. What we're seeing is carriers having the ability to see how a possible hire - in the context of their fleet's CSA profile - may impact the company's score, as well as the overall safety of their fleet.

There are a lot of concerns in the industry regarding how CSA is going to impact their hiring processes going forward because of the challenges and pressures that are being placed on them by the FMCSA. Previously, some companies would look at candidates and, depending on their given situation and how desperate they were, they would be happy with a warm body with their CDL. Obviously, with the changes that are being implemented through CSA, that's not going to be an option anymore.