Arnold Safety simplifies D.O.T. Compliance for commercial vehicle operators. Get Eric Arnold’s USDOT Compliance Guide, DVD, & Regulations at ArnoldSafety.Com.

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Vehicle Maintenance Compliance

The simplest advice (which often the best) on maintenance is 1) keep the vehicles in proper working condition at all times, and 2) write everything down you do to the vehicle in the way of maintenance.

Keeping Hours of Service Files

The rules state that a CDL driver must complete a logbook every day.  Except if they stay within a 100 mile radius, and report back to the office within 12 hours.  In that case, they may record the time started, time finished, and the total number of hours worked that day.  This can be done via a time clock.  It can be done via a time sheet.  It can be written on a blank sheet of paper; it can be written on a brown paper bag.  Just so you have 1) time start, 2) time finish, 3) number of hours worked.  The “form” companies, ie, JJ Keller, Transproducts, Labelmaster, will have some handy-dandy forms you can use for this purpose.  I like Keller’s (www.jjkeller.com), exemption log.  You can fit a whole week’s worth of activity onto one sheet of paper, and fit several months onto one book.

Just remember, if you drive outside the 100 air mile circle, or work more than 12 hours, then for that day, you must complete a logsheet.  If you are non-CDL driver, however, there are numerous exceptions which apply instead of the 100 air mile rule. 

How to Survive a DOT Audit

What is the best way to survive a DOT audit?  The short answer is, “don’t get audited”.  This is done by staying off DOT’s radar screen.  DOT primarily conducts its audits from its Safestat list.  The Safestat list is a hit list of what DOT considers to be the most hazardous motor carriers.  DOT keeps track of all serious accidents, and DOT roadside inspections of trucks in the country.  They pump this huge amount of data into their computers, spin it around three times, and voila!  the Safestat list.  If you are having crashes, and/or being placed Out of Service at the roadside because your drivers or vehicles are violating the rules, you are probably on the list somewhere.  Pay attention to any roadside inspections on your vehicles.  Make sure your drivers are turning in all DOT roadside inspections.  If you are being ticketed and placed OOS, you need to know about it now!  Before it turns into an audit.

Keeping Driver Records

Every driver of a commercial motor vehicle is required to have a driver qualification file.  In this file are a variety of documents which demonstrate to the world that this driver is qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle.  This applies to drivers in interstate commerce (usually meaning crossing state lines) if they operate a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 10,001 lbs. or more.  Want to know more?  The DVD training package, many months in the making, will be available very soon.

The Million Dollar Toothpick

As I have said time and time again, the primary reason you follow the safety regulations is to protect yourself from liability, as well as preventing accidents, and protecting your drivers and the motoring public.  Avoiding DOT fines is a secondary bonus to being in compliance with the rules.  Here is a story of a large trucking company who paid an expensive lesson by not taking safety seriously.  We will leave them anonymous, if for no other reason, because I own numerous shares of their stock (bought post-accident!).

The tractor-trailer is driving down the highway in 2002, when the truck breaks down.  The brake air hoses had developed a leak in them.  Rather than call a wrecker to make a roadside repair, the driver uses a toothpick and some duck tape (1,001 uses!) to plug the leak.  He also notifies his dispatcher via Qualcomm of the situation, and that he was making the toothpick repair.  The dispatcher expressed no interest in the situation, other to remark, “Were you a boy scout?”.  About 100 miles later, after passing numerous truckstops where the repair could have been made, the air line came apart.  When a tractor trailer loses air pressure suddenly, it is designed to lock up the brakes, so you do not have an uncontrollable 80,000 missile going down the road.  Unfortunately, in this case, the truck went from highway speeds to a dead stop in the left hand lane of the highway.  A car traveling behind the truck did not recognize the situation soon enough, and plowed into the trailer, killing the car driver.  

A jury found the trucking company negligent, and awarded $17,500,000 in damages.  More importantly, someone was killed because of a careless decision by the truck driver.  These situations happen every day in the world of trucking, and usually life goes on as normal.  This is proof that sometimes the worst-case scenario does happen.

Alcohol & Drug Compliance

DOT probably levies more penalties for failing to drug and alcohol testing than any others.  Particularly to the smaller, local type companies who are not your traditional “for-hire” motor carriers, ie, landscapers, utilities, construction companies, etc.  If you have vehicles which require a CDL license, you are subject to drug and alcohol testing.  This includes:  pre-employment testing, random testing, post-accident testing, reasonable suspicion testing, and possibly even return-to-duty testing.  I am working with a small scrap iron dealer from the wilds of Minnesota.  The government is charging him with missing two random tests, and two pre-employment tests.  Overall the fine is $19,000 and change.  Don’t let this happen to you, learn what you need to do!  Buy the DVD.