COVID-19
- A New Age of Enforcement: Adjusting to Remote and Offsite Investigations & How to Prepare By:
Presented as part of ABA’s BISC & BusMARC 2021 Virtual Safety & Maintenance Series The American Bus Association’s Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) and Bus Maintenance Repair Council’s (BusMARC) 2021 Virtual Safety & Maintenance Series offered a sequence of educational webinars early this year, covering a variety of industry-related topics. As part of its ongoing webinar series, the ABA hosted a virtual meeting with presenters Catterson Oh and Danielle Smith, transportation specialists with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance Division. Oh and Smith focused on COVID-19 national emergency investigative process updates including changes to the FMCSA investigative procedures due to COVID-19, recordkeeping and documentation as the result of COVID-19, and providing accurate documentation for FMCSA investigations. Changes to Investigative Procedures as a Result of the COVID-19 Health Emergency In May 2020, the FMCSA released guidance allowing investigators to conduct remote onsite investigations. These remote onsite investigations are intended to follow the same general process as offsite investigations with the exception that most of the investigation is now completed remotely. According to Oh, May 2020 resulted in a significant expansion to the FMCSA’s remote functionality. While motorcoach operators may not have seen any investigations in the last year, Oh noted that due to this expanded functionality, companies should expect a considerable increase in the number of investigations moving forward. “In terms of the offsite investigations with this pandemic, the policy with this particular type of investigation has not changed,” Oh said. “The offsite investigation will still be recommended for carriers that meet the appropriate criteria for this population of carriers.” Although carriers will not receive a rating from an offsite investigation, offsite investigations may be converted to onsite remote investigations under certain circumstances. Carriers with investigations that are converted onsite may be issued a Safety Fitness Rating. Overview of Investigation Process Safety Investigator (SI) will conduct an initial phone call with the carrier to introduce themselves, and review the reason for the investigation and next steps. 2. SI will email the carrier an Initial Contact Letter that will go over initial documents being requested. 3. Carrier will upload the initial documents to the Safety Measurement System (SMS). 4. After SI receives the initial documents, they may request additional documents via a Document Request Letter. 5. SI may contact the carrier via phone and email throughout the investigation. 6. Once SI has completed the investigation, they will request a closeout meeting with the carrier, which can be done via phone, Microsoft Teams, Skype, or other platform. 7. Carrier may receive a Safety Rating upon completion of the Remote Onsite Investigation. According to Oh, carriers subject to investigation will receive a phone call, followed by an initial contact letter, from an FMSCA Safety Investigator (SI) introducing themselves, the reason for investigation and next steps. Once a carrier has received this letter, that carrier’s information will need to be uploaded into the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS). After receiving the initial documents, an SI will review the content to determine if additional documentation is required. If additional documentation is needed the SI will issue a “document request letter.” “This is where things start kind of diverting from the normal way of doing things,” Oh explained. “Especially when you have performed onsite investigations.” An SI will start contacting the carrier via phone and e-mail throughout the investigation. In a normal onsite investigation, the SI would be with the carrier in person to answer questions and provide additional guidance. Once the SI has completed their investigation, they will request a close out meeting with the carrier. This can be done over the phone or, more likely, in a video conferencing setting. At this point, the carrier may receive a safety rating upon completion of the remote onsite investigation. Once the SMS has processed the information, the carrier will be able to access their dashboard, track investigation progress, check due dates and required documents, view call-to-action reminders, upload documentation, and learn to use data to increase safety performance. After the SI has reviewed all of the required documents, they will send the carrier a request for a meeting to close out the investigation. Typically, this is done onsite, face-to-face however, since the onset of the pandemic, closeouts are now performed virtually. Reinstatement After Voluntary Revocation of Operating Authority In March 2020, the FMCSA issued multiple exemptions in response to the national health emergency. One of those exemptions included waiving the $80 reinstatement fee for carriers who opted to voluntarily revoke their Passenger Operating Authority. Carriers with a USDOT pin can login into their profile, update their registration information, and complete an MCSA-5889 form, a Motor Carrier Records Change. Carriers without a USDOT pin, can register and request a pin number through the FMCSA website. Before submitting a request, carriers will need to file a BOC-3 (Designation of Process Agent), confirm insurance filings are up to date, and make sure that their USDOT number is reinstated and activated. Once these items are completed, the reinstatement request is going to be put on hold until the carrier has everything submitted properly. “If all is submitted and you do have to pay that fee, then you’ll get it reinstated no later than the fourth business day after the payment is processed,” Smith explained. “You can request that the fee is waived, you’re just going to submit it through EMC’s e-mail address rather than doing it through the normal process online.” FMCSA Ratings The FMCSA issues three types of ratings. Satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. Satisfactory means that there are safety systems in place and they all appear to be working. Conditional means that there are safety systems in place, but there are breakdowns within some of those systems. While carriers are still able to operate with a conditional rating, some choose not to do so and would rather upgrade their score. Unsatisfactory ratings mean a carrier is considered unfit and are not allowed to operate after that time. “All of the critical violations are listed within the Read More >
Motorcoach
- National Trails Continues Growth, Streamlines Charters with busHive By:
Since taking new ownership in 2019 with nine drivers, one office employee, and one mechanic, Michigan-based charter and tour company, National Trails, has seen tremendous growth. In the last three years alone, the company has more than tripled the number of employees, doubled its school bus fleet and increased its motorcoach fleet size by 15. “During this period of rapid growth, we have been incredibly reliant on our software,” said Austin Arksey, owner of National Trails. “If we didn’t have software like busHive, we would not have been able to scale as easily and as efficiently as we have.” According to Arksey, when he purchased National Trails in 2019, charters were managed via handwritten or typewritten messages being physically handed to drivers. One of the first initiatives the company undertook was digitizing these many processes, and that meant migrating the manual charter-booking into busHive. busHive provides cloud-based software to streamline workflows and recordkeeping across the entire charter process – from the initial quote to confirmations, contracts, generating driver itineraries, billing, and invoicing. National Trails uses the software to manage its sales, billing, and payroll – with reporting that shows revenue per vehicle, profit/loss analysis, and other important benchmarking tools. “As we are continuing to add additional fleet, busHive has been very instrumental in giving us the keys to have visibility to being able to see our trips on a daily, weekly, monthly, even annual basis as well,” Arksey said. “It has been very helpful to have solid software in place as we continue to grow.” However, rapid scalability often comes with its own set of challenges as National Trails well knows. With the accelerated addition of employees, Arksey said that ensuring new hires are fully trained and brought up to speed on how the company functions and operates has been one of the biggest challenges thus far. “As we’ve been hiring people, some of the things that we look at are people’s adaptability, are they quick learners, especially when it comes to working with software and technology,” Arksey said. “We are not looking at people that can solve and handle the challenges that we have just today, that can help us solve the challenges we have tomorrow and beyond.” Arksey said that busHive has been instrumental in helping National Trails keep track of driver credentials and expiring licenses. The driver management tool has also enabled the company to maintain certifications without having any lapse in downtime for drivers. With the influx of new coaches and new business, preventive maintenance (PM) is always a primary concern. With more buses in the fleet, National Trails has continued to prioritize preventative maintenance on all its equipment. All work orders are loaded into busHive, allowing the company to ensure that PM orders process correctly and that inventory is properly maintained. “With the busHive software, we transitioned our techs from doing work orders on paper to doing them on tablets so we could reduce the amount of time that it took for those work orders to get into our system and have quicker visibility to be able to make decisions on equipment,” Arksey said. “Our downtime was reduced, and we were able to better manage, monitor and maintain our preventative maintenance schedules.” Arksey said he and his team feel extremely comfortable utilizing the busHive charter system as National Trails continues to grow, citing the great support network which the company provides. “The busHive team has been great,” Arksey said. “In the many years we have been working with busHive we have not faced any outages. Anytime we have suggestions their team is always receptive to changes and interested in learning about new ideas. It has been a great partnership and experience.”
Transit
- Baton Rouge’s CATS Transforms its System with Avail Technologies By:
The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) in Baton Rouge has embarked on a transformative journey by adopting Avail Technologies’ CAD/AVL system. This partnership is part of CATS’ broader strategy to improve service efficiency, enhance communication, and elevate the overall rider experience in Louisiana’s capital city. By integrating cutting-edge technology, CATS is redefining its operational processes and preparing for a future of increased demand and performance optimization. The decision to implement the Avail system was not a rushed one. In fact, CATS had spent nearly seven years searching for a suitable replacement for its previous CAD/AVL vendor, exploring various technologies across other transit systems. “We had extensive knowledge of Avail,” said Micah Antony, director of innovation and IT at CATS. “We traveled around to look at different agencies and what software they were using, to get a handle on what was available.” Selecting the Right System CATS’ selection of Avail as its partner came after an exhaustive Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The decision was unanimous, with Avail as the clear winner. “The selection committee all selected Avail as the RFP winner,” Anthony said. “The implementation started around March of last year, and by December we had most of our fleet online and up and running.” This systematic approach not only reflected CATS’ commitment to finding the best possible solution but also laid the groundwork for a smooth rollout of the new technology. By March of this year, CATS had fully integrated the Avail system into its operations. This rapid deployment, completed in less than a year, speaks to the efficiency and expertise of both CATS and Avail in executing complex projects. A Smooth Deployment From the outset, CATS was confident in Avail’s ability to meet its operational needs. One key feature of Avail’s approach is its adaptability, as the system is highly customizable to fit the specific demands of its clients. “Our CAD/AVL system is fully configurable,” said Zafer Batmaz, system engineer at Avail Technologies. “We configure based on each of our clients’ needs rather than having a custom software for every single one of our 100+ agencies.” This customizability played a crucial role in CATS’ deployment. Early on, CATS had concerns that their dispatchers would be unable to track buses without relying solely on paper schedules during the transition phase. Avail responded swiftly. “They took an extra step just to help us out,” Anthony said. “They did some slight programming on our public Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi units on the buses to where it would actually show our dispatchers where the buses were within the Avail system, without it being fully implemented yet.” This proactive solution enabled CATS to maintain consistent service levels and communication with its riders during the critical installation period. The deployment process, which involved phases of vehicle installation, testing, and training, was smooth and well-organized, according to both CATS and Avail personnel. “We were constantly in communication with Baton Rouge’s project team,” Batmaz said. “We were able to create a personal relationship with everybody there.” Enhanced Communication and Efficiency A significant benefit of the Avail CAD/AVL system is its ability to streamline communication between bus operators and dispatchers. This has had a profound impact on operations at CATS, especially regarding the reduction of radio traffic. Anthony described how the new VoIP system changed the way CATS managed communications: “There’s no more chatter on the radios. Everything is kind of set in motion to where you have to request to talk. It cut down a lot of unnecessary radio traffic that we had had in the past.” The system’s user interface has also been a hit with dispatchers. They now have a much clearer, real-time view of where each vehicle is and can monitor the status of the fleet more effectively. “The dispatchers love the general user interface,” he continued. “It just makes it much simpler for them.” Beyond the improvements in communication, the CAD/AVL system has had a direct impact on operational efficiency. For example, the system’s ability to group late buses together has made it easier for dispatchers to manage fleet performance. “It greatly improved their efficiency,” Anthony said. “They’re able to see if the bus was late, early, or on time in one place.” Impact on Maintenance and Future Expansion CATS has also begun to leverage Avail’s vehicle health monitoring capabilities, which allows maintenance teams to proactively address mechanical issues before sending a mechanic to the field. This feature has been a game-changer for the transit agency. “Maintenance is starting to really take hold and use it for vehicle health monitoring,” Anthony said. “They’re able to see what’s going on with the bus before they actually send the mechanic out.” This level of predictive maintenance not only helps keep the buses in better condition but also reduces downtime, leading to more consistent service for passengers. While CATS has already seen significant improvements with the current implementation, there are plans to expand its use of Avail’s technology. Anthony revealed that the agency is considering adding new modules such as incidents, finance, and HR management. A Partnership Built on Trust and Support The success of the Avail system at CATS is due in no small part to the strong working relationship between the two organizations. Both CATS and Avail emphasize the importance of maintaining a long-term partnership. “With Avail, we are really into partnership,” Batmaz said “As long as we’re doing business together, we see you as a partner.” This partnership extends beyond the initial deployment phase, with Avail providing ongoing support. During the project, CATS had direct access to Avail’s engineers and project managers, ensuring quick resolutions to any issues that arose. Post-deployment, CATS can now access Avail’s official support line, which is available 24/7. “Everyone that we’ve encountered on this project has been super friendly, super knowledgeable, and super helpful,” Anthony said, noting that he was impressed with the level of service and professionalism from the Avail team. “The management team at Avail has gone above and beyond.” A Future Powered by Technology Read More >