Appendix B. Calling List Development and Interview Methods
Two separate lists of motor carrier companies to contact were developed. The primary source for the first calling list was the FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) census file, as of September 30, 2006. The MCMIS list was chosen as the most current, complete source of contact information on all motor carriers subject to federal regulation. It was hoped that the MCMIS census file would give the research team a fair cross-section of the motor carrier industry.
In an attempt to increase the representation of CVISN-participating motor carriers in the calling pool, the CVISN self-evaluation reports completed by numerous CVISN states (supported on a separate USDOT task order, BA34009) were consulted to identify a set of states that have highly active CVISN program offerings. The motor carrier companies pulled from the MCMIS files had these states as their mailing address.6
Table B-1 shows the process that was used to select eight focus states. Some chosen states appeared in only two of the three columns in the table, while other states appearing in all three columns were not chosen. The final set of eight states were chosen in part to provide a manageable sized group, with some level of geographic diversity. For example, Colorado carriers were not included in the final calling list, in part because those from nearby Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma were.
Various records were excluded from the full MCMIS census, to allow the interviews to focus on companies in the for-profit motor freight business and to make the calling process more efficient. The following four MCMIS carrier classifications
- A – Authorized for Hire
- B – Exempt for Hire
- C – Private (property)
- G – US Mail
were the only records included in the selection. This screen excluded companies that primarily transport passengers, trucks owned by government agencies, and trucks whose classification is “Other.” Also, only companies having a telephone number on file in MCMIS were included.
State is Highly Active in: |
||
|---|---|---|
IRP Electronic Credentialing |
IFTA Electronic Credentialing |
CVISN Electronic Screening |
Colorado |
Maryland |
California |
Indiana (Shaded) |
North Dakota |
Oregon |
Kansas (Shaded) |
Michigan |
Illinois |
Arizona (Shaded) |
Arkansas |
Missouri |
Nebraska |
Kansas (Shaded) |
Florida |
Tennessee (Shaded) |
Wisconsin |
Colorado |
Kentucky (Shaded) |
Virginia (Shaded) |
Kentucky (Shaded) |
Maine |
Tennessee (Shaded) |
Virginia (Shaded) |
New Mexico (Shaded) |
Arizona (Shaded) |
Georgia |
Washington |
New York |
Indiana (Shaded) |
Virginia (Shaded) |
Colorado |
Tennessee (Shaded) |
Wisconsin |
Alabama |
Utah |
Oklahoma (Shaded) |
Idaho |
Arkansas |
Alabama |
Florida |
Arizona (Shaded) |
Illinois |
New Mexico (Shaded) |
Washington |
New Jersey |
Kentucky (Shaded) |
Oklahoma (Shaded) |
New York |
Nebraska |
West Virginia |
|
Montana |
Kansas (Shaded) |
|
Ohio |
New Mexico (Shaded) |
|
South Dakota |
Montana |
|
Texas |
|
Source: State CVISN Self-Evaluation Reports, as of early 2007.
The list of 200 MCMIS carriers (25 carriers each from the eight selected states) was supplemented by carriers from two other sources: (1) The sets of carriers subscribing to the HELP/PrePass and Norpass e-screening programs. This represented approximately 50 carriers, based on the programs’ respective public web sites as reviewed in early 2007. (2) The largest motor carriers, i.e., those with more than $200 million in sales, listed in the Hoover’s online business information directory, representing approximately 40 carriers. This combined list was matched and merged visually with two other lists:
- The second set of carriers identified through proprietary trade association sources (approximately 80 carriers)
- The set of approximately 1,800 motor carriers from the MCMIS census file already identified to be contacted in the larger motor carrier survey being conducted concurrently as part of the National CVISN Deployment Program Evaluation (USDOT Task Order BA34007).
Any duplicate records were removed. The final version of this first calling list included 240 motor carrier companies.
The second calling list of approximately 90 motor carriers was developed via a multi-tiered process that collected carrier contact data by sector, geography, and proclivity to be engaged in CVISN. Specifically, common lists of core CVISN states were used, augmented by carrier “tax & registration” committee lists from state and national trucking associations. These T&R committees focus on operational, financial, and policy issues, with an emphasis on operating credentials. The surveys were e-mailed to each carrier member, with follow-up calls or e-mails. In some cases, interviews were conducted on the first call; otherwise interviews were scheduled at a future date/time. To increase response rates, several state trucking associations faxed out advance notices, urging carriers to be responsive to the survey/interview process.
6 The state given in the MCMIS mailing address was used, rather than the carrier’s physical location state. For some carriers, the two states are different. Mailing address was taken to be the more likely headquarters or the state where a motor carrier company conducts the bulk of its regulatory and registration/licensing/credentialing transactions.