Latest news with #BASIC
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What Fleets Need to Know About FMCSA Compliance Reviews in 2025
Ask any fleet manager or consultant, and they'll tell you that when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration initiates a compliance review, it's a full-body scan of your operation that starts long before the auditor walks through your door. In most cases, you'll get a notice via email or mail that your company has been selected for a compliance review (CR). This could stem from a poor Inspection Selection System score, a recent crash, BASIC alerts in the Safety Measurement System (SMS), a failed new entrant audit, or even a complaint from the public or law enforcement. Once that notice hits your inbox, the countdown begins. Understanding the FMCSA Ratings Every compliance review results in one of three possible safety ratings:Satisfactory: You've met the minimum FMCSR requirements. You can keep operating without restrictions. Conditional: You have compliance problems that must be addressed. Your rating is a red flag for brokers, insurers and shippers. Unsatisfactory: You're shut down. Operations must cease until you file a corrective action and successfully upgrade your rating. What causes a carrier to drop from satisfactory to conditional or unsatisfactory? It often depends on how you perform in each of the seven BASIC categories, and whether you've fixed repeat violations or shown a pattern of neglect. A Deep Dive Into The BASICs of Safety Here's where it gets real. FMCSA evaluates your safety posture based on your scores across seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Each one has thresholds that vary based on carrier type and fleet size. Violations here can cause enforcement action, audit prioritization and score inflation. Unsafe Driving: Think speeding, texting and improper lane changes. One egregious moving violation can tank your scores, especially for small fleets. The threshold varies by vehicle type but generally sits around the 65th percentile for most motor carriers and the 50th percentile for passenger carriers. Hours-of-Service Compliance Violations include falsified logs, exceeding drive time or failing to use a registered ELD. This BASIC is double-weighted, meaning it counts more toward your overall safety score. ELD data and logbooks are scrutinized heavily during audits. Driver Fitness: This isn't about gym memberships. It's about proper licensing, expired medical cards or operating without the appropriate endorsement. FMCSA and auditors want to know if this driver qualifies for that seat. Controlled Substances/Alcohol: Violations here can come from DOT tests, missed randoms or post-accident results. The Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) and Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse are both sources FMCSA checks during reviews. Vehicle Maintenance: Inspection reports, driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) and maintenance files matter. Repeated out-of-service violations for brakes, tires or lighting are audit red flags. If your trucks are falling apart on the road, expect scrutiny here. Hazardous Materials Compliance. This category is loaded with regulatory land mines for those who haul placardable loads. Training records, shipping papers and vehicle placarding are all examined during a CR. Crash Indicator: This is based on police-reported crashes involving your vehicles. While not directly linked to fault, patterns of crash involvement signal risk to regulators and insurers. FMCSA's Proposed Changes to BASICsFMCSA has proposed a long-overdue overhaul to the BASICs scoring system under its Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, something that's been criticized for years as inconsistent and out of touch. The new plan doesn't eliminate safety categories; it reshuffles and refocuses them. What's shifting: 1. Drug & Alcohol BASIC Merged into Driver Fitness Under the current CSA system, drug and alcohol violations live in their category. In the proposed changes, those violations, including failed drug tests, refusals or 49 CFR Part 382 violations, will be rolled into Driver Fitness. Why? Because FMCSA sees substance-related issues as directly tied to whether a driver is 'fit' to operate a CMV. Why it matters: Driver Fitness will no longer be just about medical cards and CDL status; it'll now reflect the driver's complete qualification picture, including sobriety. That means one positive drug test could not only hit your Clearinghouse and DACH reports, but it could also tank your Driver Fitness BASIC and potentially ripple across your entire safety profile. 2. Maintenance BASIC Split: Vehicle vs. Driver Responsibility Another major update: the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC will be divided into two categories: Vehicle Maintenance: Driver-Observed. Think lighting, flat tires, cracked windshields, which drivers must catch during pre-trip inspections and log via DVIRs. Vehicle Maintenance: Carrier-Observed. This includes brake adjustments, steering components and frame integrity, which require a shop or a qualified mechanic to detect and repair. Why it matters: For years, fleets have been held accountable for everything, even if it was something a driver ignored or failed to report. By splitting this BASIC, FMCSA finally distinguishes between what the driver missed and what the fleet failed to maintain. That means your maintenance record won't get torched if your driver skips a pre-trip and rolls out with a busted Happens During a Compliance Review? Here's the basic flow of an FMCSA compliance review: Notice and Scheduling: FMCSA or a state partner notifies you. You may be offered an off-site, on-site or focused review. Initial Interview: The investigator interviews the safety director (or owner, for small fleets) and reviews procedures, policies and organizational structure. Document Review: Auditors will ask for: Driver list with CDLs, medical cards and DQ files. Vehicle list with registration and inspection records. HOS records and electronic logging device logs. DVIRs and maintenance records. Proof of insurance (Form MCS-90). Accident register. Drug and alcohol testing records and MIS data. Violation Analysis: They compare your records to MCMIS, SMS and other systems. Discrepancies, like unreported positive drug tests or unqualified drivers, trigger enforcement. Final Interview and Outcome: FMCSA issues a written report and safety rating. If your rating is 'conditional' or 'unsatisfactory,' the agency may also issue civil penalties or require a Safety Management Plan (SMP). How FMCSA Scores Can Hurt (or Help) Your Business The ripple effects of a bad rating are brutal: Higher Insurance Premiums. Many insurers will not touch carriers with conditional ratings, or they will raise rates significantly. Lost Freight Opportunities. Brokers and shippers, check your SMS profile. If your scores are high or show alerts, they may avoid working with you. Recruiting Struggles. Good drivers want to work for safe, stable fleets. If your rating drops, so does your appeal. Audit Frequency. Carriers in alert status are targeted more often for audits and roadside inspections. How to Stay Prepared The best way to survive an audit is to treat every day like you're already being audited. Here's what that means: Track Everything: Use fleet management systems like Motive, Fleetio or Tenstreet to track DQ files, ELD logs and DVIRs in one place. Review Weekly: Don't wait for the end of the quarter. Check logs, driver credentials and maintenance files every week. File Cleanly: Organize DQ files with digital checklists. Missing a single document, like a CDL copy or motor vehicle record, can trigger citations. Self-Audit: Run mock audits quarterly. Motive, Tenstreet, Trucksafe and independent consultants can all help. Data Qs, SMPs and Rating Upgrades Got hit with a bad violation that you can prove was incorrect? Use the Data Q system to challenge it. Are you stuck with a conditional or unsatisfactory rating? You'll need an SMP and a formal request for a rating upgrade. These require detailed corrective actions, implementation dates and supporting documentation. Don't go it alone. A bad SMP will be denied. Compliance attorneys (like Childress Law) or consultants familiar with the FMCSA process (like Trucksafe) can guide you step by step. Proactive Compliance is the Only Insurance Compliance is about building and maintaining defensible programs that lead to operational and financial survival. Understanding how the FMCSA views your fleet, staying on top of documentation and using tech tools to manage your records can mean the difference between growth and shutdown. An audit is just a snapshot. The real story is how you operate day in and day out. The post What Fleets Need to Know About FMCSA Compliance Reviews in 2025 appeared first on FreightWaves.
Observer
15-05-2025
- Health
- Observer
OMSB approves list of doctors for scholarships
The Board of Trustees of Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) approved the list of doctors nominated for scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year, as well as those selected for OMSB training programmes for the 2025–2026 academic year. This came during its second meeting this year, chaired by Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Board discussed the approval of the Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care (BASIC) training course, internal accreditation reports for specialised training programmes under the Adult Clinical Haematology Fellowship, and reviewed updates to the training programmes. Additionally, the Board examined the self-assessment report for programmes in anaesthesiology, family medicine, orthopaedics and psychiatry. It also reviewed the Accreditation Council for International Healthcare Education (ACIHE)'s survey for trainers and trainees.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bill Gates Celebrates Microsoft's 50th Anniversary, but Admits It's a 'Bittersweet' Milestone
Bill Gates felt a range of emotions ahead of Microsoft's 50th anniversary. In a blog post published two days before the actual milestone on Friday, April 4, the billionaire philanthropist — who co-founded the company in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen — said he was "excited" to celebrate, but admitted that "reaching this milestone feels bittersweet." "I always love reflecting back on Microsoft's history and dreaming about its future," he wrote. "But it's also hard to believe that such a significant piece of my life has been around for a half-century." Related: Why Bill Gates Is Telling All About Life Before His Billions, from Trying LSD to Being Put in Therapy by His Parents (Exclusive) For Gates, 69, who has spent a lot of time reflecting on the early years of his life for his memoir Source Code, which came out in February, it's easy to remember the company's beginnings. Before Microsoft was even Micro-Soft (yes, that's a thing), Gates and Allen, who died in 2018, shared a love of computers. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "The story of how Microsoft came to be begins with, of all things, a magazine," Gates wrote in his blog post. The cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Mechanics featured a photo of an Altair 8800, which Gates described as a "groundbreaking personal computer kit that promised to bring computer power to hobbyists' 'When Paul and I saw that cover,' Gates continued, 'we knew two things: the PC revolution was imminent, and we wanted to get in on the ground floor.' The two friends knew that software would be the key to shaping how people interacted with computers, so they reached out to the company behind the Altair 8800 and told them they already had a version of BASIC – a programming language that's easy for even beginners to use – that would work for the machine. The only problem? They hadn't actually built that software just yet — but after 'lots of sleepless nights,' they did. And that software, which is made out of code, became Microsoft's first product. Related: Bill Gates Feared Getting Kicked Out of Harvard During His Sophomore Year. Here's What He Says Happened And in honor of the milestone anniversary, Gates shared a link to download that original source code. "Computer programming has come a long way," he added, "but I'm still super proud of how it turned out." Read the original article on People
Euronews
04-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
The 50-year-old code that reshaped the world: Bill Gates on the 'revolution' that started Microsoft
ADVERTISEMENT Even as he grows older, Microsoft founder Bill Gates still fondly remembers the catalytic computer code he wrote 50 years ago that opened up a new frontier in technology. Although the code that Gates printed out on a teletype machine may look crude compared to what's powering today's artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, it played a critical role in creating Microsoft in April 1975 - a golden anniversary that the Redmond, Washington, company will celebrate on Friday. Gates, 69, set the stage for that jubilee with a blog post reminiscing on how he and his old high school friend - the late Paul Allen - scrambled to create the world's first "software factory" after reading an article in the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics magazine about the Altair 8800, a minicomputer that would be powered by a tiny chip made by the then-obscure technology company, Intel. Related AI employees? Microsoft launches autonomous agents to onboard workers or manage help desk The article inspired Gates, who was just a freshman at Harvard University, and Allen to call Altair's maker, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems, and promise the company's CEO Ed Roberts they had developed software that would enable consumers to control the hardware. There was just one hitch: Gates and Allen hadn't yet come up with the code they promised Roberts. 'The coolest code I've ever written' Gates and Allen tackled the challenge by latching onto the BASIC computer language that had been developed in 1964 at Dartmouth College, but they still had to figure out a way to make the technology compatible with the forthcoming Altair computer, even though they didn't even have a prototype of the machine. After spending two months working on the program with little sleep, Gates finished the code that became the basis for the Altair's first operating system. "That code remains the coolest I've ever written," Gates wrote in his blog post, which includes an option to download the original programme. Related Microsoft claims its new AI correction feature can fix hallucinations. Does it work? The code would go on to provide the foundation for a business that would make personal computers a household staple, with a suite of software that includes the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs, as well as the Windows operating system that still powers most PCs today. "That was the revolution," Gates said of the code in a video accompanying his post. "That was the thing that ushered in personal computing". Gates' recollection of the code is part of a nostalgic kick that he has been on this year as he prepares to turn 70 in October. The trip down memory lane included the February release of a memoir exploring his early years as an often-misunderstood child with few friends and a hailing of the 25th anniversary of the philanthropic foundation he created after stepping down as Microsoft's CEO in 2000. Related Who is Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft's new AI chief, and what does his appointment mean for Big Tech? The tech giant initially stumbled after Gates' departure but has been thriving under CEO Satya Nadella, and has amassed a market value of about $2.8 trillion (€2.5 trillion). In his memoir, Gates also reflected on his tempestuous relationship with fellow PC pioneer, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, whose company will be celebrating its golden anniversary next year. "Fifty years is a long time," said Gates, whose personal fortune is estimated at $108 billion (€98 billion). "It's crazy that the dream came true".
Axios
03-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
5 things you might not know about Microsoft
We all know the basics: Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Windows and Word, but here are a few almost forgotten moments you might not know about the company that helped build the modern tech world. 📍 It started in Albuquerque: Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Gates and Allen in New Mexico, where the Lakeside School alumni created one of the first computer language programs for a personal computer. The company didn't move to Washington until 1979 when it leased office space in Bellevue, per HistoryLink. 💾 Their first product wasn't for a PC: Microsoft's inaugural product, a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800, was built for a mail-order hobbyist computer lacking a screen or keyboard. They developed the software without access to an actual Altair, instead simulating it on a Harvard mainframe, and then crossed their fingers it would work, according to this week's commemorative blog post from Gates. 🎮 Xbox was almost canceled: Microsoft execs nearly pulled the plug on what has become one of the company's signature brands. 🌐 Microsoft was late to the internet: The company didn't see the web as a big deal until Netscape began to emerge as the face of the internet.
