Easy Steps to a streamlined DOT-compliant safety program

Every company involved in the transport of the business of moving goods or people needs to have a DOT compliant safety program.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) has a wide variety of rules and regulations that regulate commercial drivers. These rules primarily cover who can drive what kind of vehicles, when, and where. They are developed to keep drivers, both professionals, and amateurs, secure on the road. Most companies either do this by themselves or have their DOT compliance using Managed Services so they have all the necessary documentation when they get audited by the DOT.

​Here is a quick overview of the multitude of the rules used regulate trucking:
 
 CDL (Commercial Driver Licenses) Checklist

• The company must have a copy of the current Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules at their site. And, each driver must have a copy of the rules and sign a confirmation and a contractual agreement to comply with the regulations.
• The company must make sure that all drivers are familiar with parts 40, 380, 382, 383, 387, 390-397, and part 399, subchapter B, chapter 3, and title 49 federal regulations code.
• Every Commercial Motor Vehicle must have complete both pre-trip and post-trip inspections of all your vehicles and maintain documentation. This pre-trip and post-trip inspection can be performed by either the driver, safety manager or a designate.
• The company must keep up-to-date qualification records and safety performance histories for each of its drivers.
• The company must document each driver's hours of service. CDL drivers do not need to complete a log grid if they never drive further than 100 miles from the terminal, but the business must keep records of their hours.
• The company needs to have a regular vehicle maintenance program and ensure that it is followed.
• The company must maintain a detailed record of every incident in the event of an accident involving any of the company's vehicles.
• Every Commercial Motor Vehicle in thee fleet must be marked with the respective DOT numbers.
• Every new driver must comply with the Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) entry-level driver training requirements.

​DOT FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Compliance Checklist
 
The DOT enforcement team regularly audits companies registered with the DOT using a variety of methods including using roadside checks. Therefore it is essential to make sure everyone at the company follows the DOT compliance checklist. Severe civil and criminal penalties may be applied if the company or any of its drivers who violate these rules. 
Ensure that your business has covered all of the following:

• Ensure all your drivers have copies of the DOT regulations.
• Keep the pre-employment drug screening reports for all your drivers on file.
• Ensure that drivers are not allowed to perform safety-sensitive tasks, including delivering loads until their drug tests have been returned and confirmed to be negative.
• Check with your driver's former employers whether the driver had any drug or alcohol problems while employed and record the findings on file in your office.
• Put all of your drivers in a random drug/alcohol testing group. This group must be separate from any pool you maintain for non-driver employees.
• Conduct random drug testing of at least 50% of your drivers each year.
• Random checking at least 10% of your drivers for alcohol abuse each year.
• Make sure that these checks occur immediately after the drivers are notified that the tests will take place.
• Make all supervisors complete the DOT's mandatory training program.
• Immediately remove any driver in violation of DOT regulations from safety-sensitive duties.
• Refer those drivers to approved substance abuse programs.
• Ensure all required documents relevant to drug and alcohol regulations are on file and retrieved.

 
Safety teams have a lot to focus on. Even if they possess the skills and intend to meet the DOT’s enforcement provisions, this does not mean they always have time. Drivers come and go. Former employers do not respond to background check calls. The company needs to interview candidates and recruit them. Compliance is only one of the many tasks activities for most safety personnel.
 life
Our customer use our software and managed services to streamline DOT compliance. CERTRAX is built to meet the DOT’s regulatory requirements and quickly adapt to any changes in regulations by using cutting edge software and hardware built in the US. Everybody knows how secure software backed by AI can be used to automate a lot of the record-keeping workloads that are typically managed by safety teams. Managing paperwork and using Excel to monitor compliance gets monotonous and overwhelming very fast. CERTRAX sends out alerts to the necessary folks including safety managers, supervisors and drivers so they are always compliant when the DOT comes knocking.
 
CERTRAX = LESS PAPERWORK + DOT COMPLIANCE WITH PEACE OF MIND
 
Get your 21 day free trial of CERTRAX to experience how streamlined we make our customer’s life stress free.