DOT compliance may seem like a challenging and overwhelming task, but awareness and practice will make the process much more achievable. DOT compliance is critical and every commercial vehicle company has a responsibility to comply.
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The Department of Transportation (DOT) is a government agency that implements all travel safety. Everyone who is on the road must comply with the rules and regulations set by the department. Each state has a department of transportation division that is responsible for the planning, construction, and maintenance of roads. This includes road operations entailing who is allowed to drive certain vehicles and how vehicles should meet specific requirements.
Values:
Strategic Goals:
“To deliver the world’s leading transportation system, serving the American people and economy through the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods.”
The Department of Transportation enforces vehicle operation. DOT has guidelines and laws that must be followed in order for drivers and fleet companies to stay compliant. Those guidelines encompass a variety of rules and regulations ranging from licensing and insurance to vehicle operation behavior and vehicle maintenance. Every driver and transportation company must follow these guidelines and keep their employees up-to-date. Not being DOT-compliant leads to preventable consequences such as tickets or fines. The department of transportation has set laws and regulations to keep everyone safe, companies who remain DOT compliant in turn provide safe working conditions for their employees.
An essential part of fleet management and fleet operations is being informed about fleet and driver compliance. Ignorance is not an excuse to neglect DOT complaints, staying informed is the key to successfully following DOT guidelines.
Common violations:
Commercial vehicles that transport cargo or passengers across states are required to obtain a USDOT number with the department of transportation. The number is needed to monitor commercial vehicles and will be utilized for audits. Each company will have a unique specialized number for identification. This number will have to be maintained and updated, to register for a USDOT number, apply on the Department of Transportation website.
There are different types of operating authority. To find out what type of operating authority is required to stay compliant with the Department of Transportation, view their website or contact a representative of the DOT.
Before issuing any kind of authorization, commercial vehicle companies must purchase insurance and file insurance with the Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Insurance Coverage Requirements
| Freight Insurance Coverage | $750,000 to $5,000,000 |
| Non-Hazardous Freight Insurance Coverage | $300,000 (weight of 10,001 pounds or less) |
| Passenger Insurance Coverage | $5,000,000 |
| Less than 15 Passenger Insurance Coverage | $1,500,000 |
Rules and regulations are specialized by the type of vehicle transportation, meaning commercial licenses are required for DOT compliance. In order to drive commercial vehicles, a class A or B commercial driver’s license is required, issued by State. Some states require a class C commercial driver’s license. The class of commercial driver’s license required is dependent on the vehicle weight and type of cargo being transported. A DOT medical card, motor carrier registration, and motor carrier authority are also mandatory for vehicle licensing.
Commercial Drivers License (CDL) by Classification
| Class A CDL |
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| Class B CDL |
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| Class C CDL |
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An essential aspect to DOT compliance is keeping up-to-date with training regulations. Regardless of meeting DOT compliance guidelines, training is essential for maintaining safe vehicle operations.
Types of Training Requirements
A driver must complete entry-level driver training based on FMCSA guidelines to obtain a class A or B commercial driver’s license. Drivers may also upgrade from a class B to a class A commercial driver’s license by completing entry-level driver training. Training must come from a certified provider approved by the FMCSA before eligibility for testing. To verify a provider check the FMCSA provider registry.
DOT compliance is not only mandatory but is essential for a trucking company’s prosperity and success. Complying with DOT guidelines ensures safe operations, encourages accident prevention, avoids expensive penalties, and prompts better customer service. Truck maintenance and safety are indispensable when meeting DOT laws and regulations, however, truck maintenance and safety will further benefit commercial vehicle companies.
Safety should always be a company’s top priority. Especially when operating heavy duty vehicles, transporting passengers, or transporting cargo. People tend to become desensitized to dangerous tasks that are performed daily, however, risk is always present. The Department of Transportation has regulations set to keep everyone safe. Complying with DOT regulations and enforcing drivers to take DOT guidelines seriously is important because it not only protects their life, but it protects everyone from getting hurt or even killed.
Penalties can be expensive and ultimately can run a company out of business. Penalties vary from fines and fees, expensive lawsuits, and in the worst case scenario, death. The consequences of not following DOT compliance are preventable, and if not taken seriously can lead to harsh situations.
The best way to protect a company that is dependent on commercial vehicles is to prevent DOT violations. Awareness is the key to preventing DOT violations. Additional employee and driver training encourages awareness in the workplace and encourages a workplace culture that values safety. Fleet maintenance software is another great tool to prevent violations and enforce DOT compliance, Whip Around offers a software that makes the maintenance process simple for following DOT compliance. Taking these steps to enhance safety is important, not only protecting people’s jobs, but their lives as well. It is possible to check how a company is standing on the FMCSA program to check DOT compliance.
Workplace culture is a complex management system that can be difficult to reverse. That is why it is critical to remain consistent with a workplace culture that values DOT compliance and safety. People tend to follow the crowd and culture in their environment, meaning workplace culture can be the most powerful tool in initiating DOT compliance.
The most common violations of DOT guidelines are mistakes most people make daily or when they are too comfortable such as speeding, improper turns, and late vehicle maintenance. Keeping employees informed on additional frequent training is the best way to combat these common violations. Posting up-to-date guidelines for employees to read and sign off on is another great tactic to keep them informed.
There are other violations that burden much heavier consequences such as falsifying records. When training drivers, it is essential to communicate the consequences of those violations and hold drivers accountable.
The DOT will have routine audits, where the commercial vehicle companies will be expected to provide paperwork of maintenance history. The first paperwork that will be expected is yearly routine maintenance inspections on vehicles. Some states will require annual inspections conducted by the State, so be prepared to pass those inspections. During routine audits all records of vehicle repairs and maintenance will be requested, the best way to ensure great results is by staying on top of maintenance issues and even scheduling frequent preventive maintenance.
Fleet maintenance software is a great way to track and organize maintenance history. When audits start it is best to be prepared, fleet maintenance software stores the information needed for the audit. Fleet maintenance software also ensures that maintenance is in compliance with the DOT by providing an efficient maintenance process. Whip Around provides easy access to preventive maintenance, all while making the maintenance process simple and digitized.
Overall, DOT compliance can be complex and require significant attention. However, the laws and guidelines placed by the DOT are important for a company’s success. The main goal of the DOT is to keep everyone safe, the value of safety is worth the effort to comply.
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