• Drivers who lack training, experience, or medical qualifications may be in violation of the driver fitness BASIC.

A driver’s training, experience, and physical fitness to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) has a lot to do with how safely the person can operate that vehicle. That’s why the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program initiative grades carriers and drivers on driver fitness.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) defines driver fitness as operation of commercial motor vehicles by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications. Among the violations under this Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC):

• Failing to train hazmat employees;
• Failing to notify employer of convictions;
• Failing to have proper endorsement(s);
• Failing to have a valid medical certificate; and
• Driving while disqualified.

Performance on driver fitness is measured using violations of certain Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations recorded on roadside inspection reports.