Annual DOT Inspection (Ultimate Guide)
Annual DOT inspections are a critical part of any trucking company’s vehicle maintenance program. But, an average of over 133,000 trucks are cited for Operating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection (CFR 396.17c ) each year. The real number is closer to 140,000 trucks when you take the COVID 19 enforcement slump out…
What is a Good CSA Score?
What is a good CSA Score? A good CSA score is having no CSA score in each CSA BASIC category. In fact, a CSA score of 0 in each of the seven Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) would be considered a perfect CSA score. If you have a 0 in a CSA BASIC category, that means…
Level 2 DOT Inspection: Ultimate Guide
What is a Level 2 Inspection? A level 2 DOT inspection is a type of roadside inspection conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its state police officer partners. It is also known as a Walk-Around Driver and Vehicle Inspection. Officers will be reviewing you (the truck driver), your documents and parts of…
Level 1 DOT Inspection: Ultimate Guide
What is a Level 1 DOT Inspection? A Level 1 DOT inspection is a comprehensive (37 step) inspection of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and it’s driver that is conducted by a trained and certified CMV inspector. The inspection is designed to identify any safety defects or DOT violations that could potentially lead to an accident and are…
Florida Tort Reform
Florida Tort Reform Changes Tort reform has finally arrived as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping tort reform bill into law on March 24, 2023 and it has an immediate effective date. Let’s take a brief look at these new changes and then explore how this should help trucking companies. The Florida Tort Reform bill,…
DOT Tire Regulations: Ultimate Guide
DOT Tire Regulations DOT Tire regulations aim to ensure that commercial truck tires meet certain standards for performance and safety, including minimum legal tread depth and proper tire inflation pressures. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has established many safety regulations for tires used on commercial vehicles. These can be found in 49 CFR 393.75. The Federal Motor Carrier…
34 Hour Reset: Your Ultimate Guide
What is the 34 Hour Reset and Why is it Important? As a truck driver or fleet owner, understanding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations for the 34 hour reset can be very helpful. The FMCSA has specific limitations regarding how drivers can use the 34 hour reset to comply with maximum limits on…
Need A DOT Compliance Services Partner?
DOT compliance services are types of businesses that help trucking companies ensure that they comply with federal and state regulations related to the transportation of goods on public roads. Why Should You Consider Working With A DOT Compliance Services Company? Larger fleets will typically have an in-house safety manager or even a safety department and owner-operators…
DOT Post Accident Drug Testing Simplified
What is DOT Post Accident Drug Testing? DOT Post Accident Drug Testing is a specific type of drug testing that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires commercial drivers to undergo following certain types of motor vehicle accidents. This type of DOT drug testing is intended to help ensure that drivers were not impaired by drugs or…
FMCSA CSA Changes
The FMCSA just announced their PROPOSED changes to the way their CSA system will prioritize trucking companies for intervention (see Compliance Review or DOT Audit). Now what? First, don’t panic. These changes were required to be made and nothing is set in stone yet. It will take at least 3 to 6 months for any changes…