CSA Unsafe Driving Scores - Probable Cause States

I'm the safety director for our company. We have a concern about the manner in which Indiana State Police initiate roadside DOT inspections. This concern arose after a series of inspections only occurring in Indiana. Our drivers were being pulled over for 6-10 over the speed limit, warned and then inspected roadside. I believe minor speed was a way to create a form of probable to initiate an inspection. The problem is very clear. We have been inspected about 40 times during the course of 2014, 6 of which were in IN over the course of 2.5 months. Five of the six inspections, the driver was pulled and warned for speed. There was little else on these inspections other than the speeding violation. Yet after reviewing the other inspections for the year I find that only on two occasions we were written for speed. My issue with Indiana is what this tactic of inspection does to my company's Unsafe Driving scores. Based on Indiana alone, our Unsafe Driving category have spiked, yet we really are the same safe carrier that has maintained good numbers all along. Their system of inspection skews the data and gives the perception that we are a more unsafe carrier then we actually are. We are not over the threshold but I work very hard, as all motor carriers do to maintain good CSA scores. Based on the situation in Indiana we are fighting an uphill battle. I don't think it is fair, as a practice, for Indiana do this to industry.

Law enforcement needs to better understand how their inspection practices affect the trucking industry. When certain practices create an unfair balance in the system, comparatively, to neighboring states or the rest of the country, CVSA needs to help the trucking industry convey the message to enforcement agencies.

I will forward the six inspections from Indiana. Compared to the rest of the inspections we have been through in other states for 2014 consider educating Indiana of the impact these violations have when creating a pattern or manner to affect inspection. Only 2 other inspections have a speed violations in our 2014 history and it is 2 different states. Indiana, conversely has written us up 5 times for speed on inspections from 7/4/14 to 9/23/14. There is obviously a problem in Indiana. Feel free to look at my CSA data for yourselves and see what effect Indiana alone is having on my company's CSA numbers. It is staggering to me that my company has almost doubled in the Unsafe Driving category based on Indiana's data. This should be of concern your office and the trucking industry as a whole. I will email the inspections to the individual named for supporting documents. Thank you.