Cargo Tank Inspection Service to Streamline Inspection Efficiency

MARBLE HILL, MO, July 12, 2012

The U.S. DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces tank inspection rules and regulations by imposing fines and penalties for violations, and launching new initiatives for safety compliance and enforcement. A new online service streamlines the tank inspection record keeping and reporting process to aid the inspectors charged with the critical task of documenting compliance.

Tank inspectors, inspection facilities and consignors are participating in the development of the first National database of its kind designed to make results of tank inspections searchable by serial number. Although no company-specific data is made accessible, the ability to retrieve records online will enable the identification of potential violations quickly and efficiently by providing instant access to the current disposition of any tank vehicle in the system.

eStandardSolutions.com has worked with individuals from both private and governmental sectors to develop standardized forms and reporting tools for digitizing CT tests and inspections. A growing database of tank specifications and inspection results accessible to all members is beneficial to the industry as well as the FMSCA. Not only can tank inspectors complete test and inspection forms online more easily from any location using a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, but consignors can check the database to determine a cargo tank's current disposition. Since an owner or carrier operating a cargo tank out of compliance is subject to severe penalties, a National database to quickly check tank dispositions is long overdue.

To achieve the safety-first mission of the FMCSA, enforcement and rigorous safety rules raise the safety bar to enter the industry; maintain high safety standards to remain in the industry; and remove high-risk carriers, drivers and vehicles from operating. But it does little in the way of assisting those charged with performing the necessary tests and inspections. Last December the FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) initiative was launched using cutting edge technology and new safety data to enable more aggressive identification of unsafe commercial trucks for quick interventions.

In turn, eStandardSolutions.com has developed cutting edge technology for inspectors and consignors by providing convenient, accessible forms and reporting tools. Forms are provided for fast data entry of external visual, internal visual, leakage, pressure, thickness, and upper coupler inspections. To further streamline the inspection process, the system is designed so that vital tank data is entered only once, then auto-populates forms for subsequent inspections. But use of the new system needs to be embraced by the Inspector community in order to be successful and useful.

The number one priority of the FMCSA is to improve road safety by strengthening commercial vehicle (and driver) safety. To adequately accomplish this goal, the tools for inspectors must be brought up to standards and the data collected made available to those seeking compliance. Manufacturers need to have access to the valuable data collected by thousands of inspectors across the U.S. and Canada. This information is vital to the early detection of problems and issues that could be corrected immediately. The opportunity for inspectors to make a real difference now exists through the use of a simple service already employed by successful businesses in numerous other industries.

eStandard Solutions provides online forms and reporting tools designed specifically for the cargo tank inspection industry. eStandardSolutions.com is an online membership-based service developed by EMG, a division of EMG Productions, Inc. specializing in website design and development.

eStandard Solutions provides online forms and reporting tools designed specifically for the cargo tank inspection industry.