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8 • SEPTEMBER 2023 THE NATION
Thetrucker.com
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is investigating after nearly 200 tankers that haul propane were
inspected by an authorized person.
FMCSA says propane tankers
inspected by unauthorized personnel
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
WASHINGTON — A June investigation of
Meeder Equipment Co./Ransome Manufacturing
in Fresno, California, by the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found
that nearly 200 tanker trailers used to haul propane
had been tested and inspected by a person
who didn’t meet the qualifications of a registered
inspector.
According to a news release, the inspections
and tests conducted on the 186 units included
internal visual inspections and pressure tests
dating back to July 2018, along with external visual
inspections and leakage tests dating back to
July 2022.
The affected units must be retested and
reinspected by qualified registered inspectors
to ensure they are compliant for hazardous
materials transportation, according to the
FMCSA.
Any person in possession of one of the
units should contact Meeder Equipment Co./
Ransome Manufacturing to determine whether
it is in compliance.
The FMCSA notes that there are “no
imminent safety vulnerabilities,” and the agency
says it won’t take enforcement action against
any person who transports a tanker trailer that’s
been inspected by unauthorized personnel. 8
ATRI study shows tie between carriers’
safety records and association membership
THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF
WASHINGTON — A new study by the American
Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)
found that motor carriers that are active in state
and national trucking industry associations are
safer than both former association members
and carriers who have never been association
members.
“It has always been anecdotally assumed
that association membership supports safety
through a variety of association services and
resources, but the necessary industry safety
data and methodology had never before been
assessed,” an ATRI news release said. “This new
empirical research processed public safety data
from the Motor Carrier Management Information
System (MCMIS) through a series of statistical
tools to confirm the relationship between association
membership and safety performance.”
The MCMIS is a computerized records system,
maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, that tracks motor carriers’
safety record.
Specifically, the research compared motor
carrier MCMIS crash and violation data for
trucking fleets that held a membership status of
either “current,” “former” or “never” members of
an association. Carrier status data came from
a geographically representative sample of state
trucking associations as well as from the American
Trucking Associations.
The Welch’s Two-Sample T-Test outputs confirmed
that among these three carrier groups,
current association members have fewer overall
crashes and violations than former members.
In turn, former association members had fewer
crashes and violations than those who have never
been members.
Almost all results were significant at the 95%
or 99% confidence levels, the news release stated.
Due to the rarity of fatal truck crashes among
all carriers, this specific crash type was not significant
for either state or national membership.
“All safety stakeholders in the trucking
industry are looking for strategies and solutions
for improving large-truck safety,” said Dr.
Brenda Lantz, associate director of the Upper
Great Plains Transportation Institute. “This new
ATRI research confirms that association membership
is another important and proven safety
tool for trucking companies.”
To access the full study, visit ATRI’s website
at truckingresearch.org. 8