The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released a Smartphone app that will let the public see updated safety information on interstate trucking and bus companies.
The app is called “QCMobile.” “QC” stands for “Query Central.” The purpose of the app is to make it easy for drivers, passengers, law enforcement officials, insurers, brokers, and other interested individuals to access information on truck and bus company registration and safety performance.
The app collects and summarizes data from several sources currently compiled by the FMCSA. It also allows users to access detailed information from the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, which collects and tracks data in seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement categories.
Before the app was launched, the data was available only to law enforcement officials and safety inspectors who logged into a nationwide database using special software. The new app does not require a login, and it allows individuals to access the same information from any device that has downloaded the app. Experienced Texas truck accident lawyers expect the app to make it easier to represent clients who have been injured in truck wrecks by making safety data easier to gather.
Not all interested parties are enthusiastic about the app. The American Trucking Association (ATA) criticized the use of the CSA data as part of the app’s offerings, citing a GAO report that found the CSA information was “unreliable and imprecise.”
The app is available for both iOS and Android devices through the Apple App Store and Google Play. It is free to download and use.
