PRISM
Update Brief
CVISN Deployment Workshop
December 4, 2008
Purpose of Presentation and
Discussion
• A brief overview of PRISM
• The Status of PRISM National Implementation
• Update of PRISM FY 2008 activities
• PRISM Fiscal Year 2009 Objectives
WHAT IS PRISM?
What is PRISM?
PRISM IS A 100% Federally Funded Public Safety
Program That Links a Motor Carrier’s Safety
Performance to Its Vehicle Registration (USDOT# &
VINs) to:
1. Deny, Suspend, and Revoke
Registrations of OOS Carriers;
2. Improve a Carrier’s Safety
Performance; and,
3. Enhance Data Quality
What is PRISM?
Unique partnership with State DMVs that helps:
1. Ensure carriers meet MCS-150 data update regulations
as a condition of plate renewal
2. Strengthen FMCSA enforcement by providing for
suspension and/or denial of license plates in
conjunction with carrier OOS orders
3. Catch “Chameleon” Carriers that change names and
USDOT numbers to avoid oversight
What is PRISM?
PRISM PROVIDES THE CONNECTIVITY TO
IDENTIFY TARGETED CARRIERS &
THEIR VEHICLES
PRISM State’s FMCSA’s
Local IRP MCMIS/SAFER
Database Database
Roadside
State IRP Office
PRISM...Two Main Processes
Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Process
Commercial Vehicle Registration Process
Motor Carrier Safety Improvement
Process (MCSIP)
• MCSIP - Process to Improve the Safety of High-
Risk Motor Carriers Through More Accurate
Identification, Treatment, and Assessment
Uses SafeStat to identify and monitor high-risk motor
carriers
Applies treatments commensurate with risk
Applies progressively harsher treatments to carriers
that do not improve
Commercial Vehicle Registration
Process
• International Registration Plan (IRP) Provides the
Framework for the PRISM Program
– Establishes Link Between the “Motor Carrier
Responsible for Safety” and Every Vehicle Registered
through the IRP
– Prohibits Renewal of Interstate Plates if Carrier
Responsible for Safety is under a Federal Order to Stop
Interstate Operations
Commercial Vehicle Registration
Process
• International Registration Plan (IRP)
Providesthe framework for the PRISM Program
Agreement among the States to uniformly register
commercial vehicles that run interstate
• Critical Functions
Makes safety fitness a requirement to obtain a plate
Uses registration sanctions (Denial, Suspension, or
Revocation) as a powerful incentive to improve safety
Benefits of PRISM
• Improved Safety
Accurate identification of high risk carriers
Warning Letter
30% of WL carriers improved in pilot
Enables FMCSA to reach twice as many carriers
• Improved Data Quality
Bar codes reduce inspection data entry errors
Current census data
Ability to correct non-matches
Benefits of PRISM
• Performance Based System
Carriers identified based on safety data
Carriers enter and exit the MCSIP based on highway
performance
• Accurate Identification of High-Risk Carriers
More Accurate Targeting of High Risk Carriers
- Study showed that SafeStat identified carriers were
nearly 3 times as likely to be involved in accidents
Benefits of PRISM
Customer Service
Promotes “one-stop shop” for USDOT
Number and Plates
Accountability for Safety
Every interstate truck registered must have
a USDOT Number to identify entity
responsible for safety. (CVISN/CVIEW)
Can’t register if prohibited from interstate
operations
How Do the Commercial Vehicle
Registration Process & PRISM
Affect Safety
PRISM and vehicle registration
Administrative Enforcement
All carriers must register every year
100% enforcement
MCS – 150 updates
Prohibit out-of-service carriers from keeping
interstate plates
PRISM Assistance
• Training
• Guidelines for grant
• Clerical
• Law Enforcement
• Procedural Manual
• Specifications
• Newsletters
• National Conference Calls
• Site Visits
• Ad Hoc
WHAT IS THE STATUS
OF PRISM
IMPLEMENTATION?
DMV Enforcement of MCS-150 Update
• At least 29 State
DMVs actively enforce
MCS-150 data update
requirements as a
condition of IRP plate
renewal
PRISM State Implementation Map:
PRISM Implementation Levels
November 2008
Grant Approval Only– BLUE
(7 States CO , HI,
IL, ND, RI, VA, WI,)
States Developing Implementation
Plan for Approval – PURPLE
(4 States: FL, MA, NJ, WY)
States Implementing
an Approved Plan – GREY
(6 States +DC: AK, CA, DE, MS, MT, NY)
PRISM Level 1 – RED
Collecting/Validating USDOT Number
of Carrier Responsible for Safety
(8 States: AZ, ID, IN, LA, OK, OR, PA, TX)
PRISM Level 2 – YELLOW
Enforcing MCS-150 Update
Checking Carrier Safety Status
Submitting Targeted Vehicles to SAFER
( 3 States: AL, KS, NC)
PRISM Level 3 – GREEN
Denying, Suspending, Revoking for Federal OOSO
Bar Coding PRISM Specs
Enforcement Stopping Targeted Vehicles
(19 States: AR, CT, GA, IA, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM,
OH, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WA, WV)
N/A – WHITE (3 States: MD, MI, NV, ) Total PRISM States: 30
FY 2008 PRISM Activities
Pre-Implementation levels
Grant approval (BLUE States) – Funds set aside
for state – Cannot voucher until a plan is approved
• States have received guideline training and are
preparing a plan for approval (PURPLE States)
• States have begun to implement but have not
completed the first level of implementation (GREY
States)
Implementation levels
• Implementation Level 1 (RED States)
Collecting and Validating USDOT Numbers of Carriers
Responsible for Safety
• Implementation Level 2 (YELLOW States)
Enforcing MCS-150 update
Checking Carrier Safety Status at the registrant and carrier
responsible for safety levels.
Submitting Targeted Vehicles to SAFER
• Implementation Level 3 (GREEN States)
Denying, Suspending, Revoking registration for Federal
OOSO
Complying with PRISM Bar Code Specifications
Law Enforcement Stopping Targeted Vehicles
FY 2008 PRISM Activities
• Conducted training for Implementation Plan
Development in 4 jurisdictions:
Massachusetts, Mississippi, Wyoming and the
District of Columbia.
• Conducted overview sessions in 4 jurisdictions:
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
• Approved PRISM Implementation Plans for 4
jurisdictions:
California, Mississippi, Montana, Texas
FY 2008 PRISM Activities
• Conducted Implementation Reviews to evaluate
compliance with grant requirements in 9 jurisdictions:
Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky,
Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and
Tennessee
• Conducted Clerical training:
Delaware and Texas
FY 2008 PRISM Activities
• Developed model legislation for states to use to thwart
chameleon carriers.
• Working with Kentucky and New York to provide
funding for license plate and USDOT readers.
• Working with Georgia and Washington to implement
non-IRP interstate and intrastate vehicle programs
• Modified bar code specifications to include state-weight
file requested by states.
FY 2008 PRISM Activities
• Developed a Law Enforcement training manual
• Requested changes to add MCSIP steps for suspension
of operating authority
• Requested change to split the new entrant MCSIP step
into two steps
• Reorganized and reduced the scope of Volpe’s PRISM
support that resulted in annual savings of
approximately $450K.
PRISM
Fiscal Year 2009
Objectives
FY 2009 PRISM
Objectives
• Conduct Additional Training for Implementation Plan
Development:
Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Virginia, and Wisconsin
• Conduct Additional Implementation Reviews:
Arizona, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, Maine,
North Carolina, and Kansas
• Increase number of States invoking IRP registration
sanctions and enforcing MCS-150 data update
requirements.
FY 2009 PRISM
Objectives
• Implement PRISM specific web-site.
• Implement modified requirements in states
Expanded validation checks
Re-validation at renewal
Re-certification of bar code
Chameleon legislation
Intrastate legislation
• Implement an expanded PRISM program in additional
states
FY 2009 PRISM
Objectives
Continue to improve Roadside Enforcement
– Too many OOS carriers being inspected without
inspector knowledge of OOS Order
– Provide funding to improve roadside connectivity
and timeliness of data at roadside through FMCSA
Query Central and NLETS
FY 2009 PRISM
Objectives
• Implement change to add MCSIP steps to indicate
to state DMVs and roadside enforcement that a
carrier is OOS due to revocation of operating
authority
• Implement the change to split the new entrant
MCSIP step into two steps
FY 2009 PRISM
Objectives
• Initiate and support an amendment to IRP Inc’s.
charter to require Charter Buses to register
through IRP.
• Eliminate the issuance of Registrant Only USDOT
Numbers – provide PRISM Grants to States to
modify their IRP systems.
PRISM Contact Information
Tom Lawler
FMCSA, MC-ESS
(202) 366-3866
tom.lawler@dot.gov
Linley Oberman
PRISM IRP Support
Oberman1345@aol.com
Tim Hayes
PRISM Technical Support
Tim.Hayes@Volpe.Dot.Gov
Chuck Kleber
PRISM LE Support
ckleber@att.net