Optimizing Fleet Compliance

Dash cameras are great at capturing risky moments on the road, but the real power lies in what happens after the footage rolls. “A well-structured coaching workflow transforms dash cam events into meaningful behavior change, reducing risk and building a culture of safety,” says Tom Bray, senior industry business advisor at J. J. Keller & […]

Despite their outsized impact on operations, confusion surrounding HOS regulations continues to plague the industry.

Carriers with best-in-class safety programs enjoy the most competitive insurance rates while simultaneously protecting driver well-being and making positive changes in the industry as a whole.

Adhering to regulations alone is complex in itself, but is it enough for a strong safety program? J. J. Keller & Associates, industry experts in safety and compliance guidance, don’t think so.

“Treat every application like it is worth a million dollars. An allegation of negligent hiring in post-crash litigation could cost at least that and more,” said Mark Schedler, senior transport editor at J. J. Keller & Associates.

Truck driver safety is an ongoing process that involves engagement, awareness and targeted training.

Corrective action training may not prevent an incident but it will reduce the likelihood of one reoccurring.

Each year carriers must pay their Unified Carrier Registration fees, and failure to do so could result in significant penalties, including suspension of vehicle registrations.

FMCSA requires annual checks on a truck driver’s motor vehicle record. But doing that can leave gaps and potentially allows drivers to remain on the road when they are no longer eligible to drive a CMV.

Legal battle over trucking independent contractors The trucking owner-operator business model is getting more legal challenges. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision in May 2021 that ruled in favor of Schneider’s contract terms, creating a situation where an owner-operator is effectively an employee based on its interpretation of the […]

The HVUT is a tax applied annually to many heavy commercial vehicles. How do you know if your vehicles are affected?

Preparing your fleet for an inspection is a continual process that requires monthly monitoring of safety data.

With millions of truck drivers on the roads every day, it is up to carriers to ensure they uphold the values and safety-first focus of the professional trucker. And it all starts with training.

The number of carriers receiving FMCSA conditional safety ratings is increasing as more off-site audits are conducted.

Carriers interested in conducting driver training for both property carrying and passenger carrying commercial motor vehicles must now meet requirements set forth under FMCSA’s entry-level driver training rule, including registering their programs with the TPR.

Carriers must pay fuel taxes to states they travel through, but the process can be complicated and time-consuming due to the various jurisdictions. Even a simple filing mistake can trigger an IFTA audit and bring unwanted scrutiny upon the carrier.

As competition for truck drivers heats up, fleets need to take steps to improve their recruiting, hiring and onboarding processes to find candidates and get them into trucks.

Federal rules mandate the collection and maintenance of driver qualification files, but for fleets, managing this process can be cumbersome and fraught with potential liability.

Using a combination of the Safety Management Cycle and the 5 Why’s helps fleets identify the root cause and eventually end patterns of FMCSA violations.

As the industry prepares for the new entry-level driver training rule to go into effect in February, fleets that train their own drivers and schools face new challenges in complying.

CRST’s dedicated solutions place the individual customer at the focus to add value and maximize service.

From time to time, truck drivers require additional training. Whether it is refresher training or due to a recent incident, success depends on having the right approach.

FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse has several reporting requirements for carriers, but those without proper protocols in place could be reporting violations they shouldn’t, and that is harming drivers.

Trucking fleets that still use pen and paper to meet their recordkeeping requirements are adding unnecessary costs and complexity, and upping the chance of a recordkeeping violation during an FMCSA audit.

Carriers continue to face fines and out-of-service violations because they don’t understand the difference between intrastate and interstate operating authority.

With upcoming changes to hours-of-service rules, drivers and fleets could see improved productivity, safer operation and fewer violations.

FMCSA has increased the use of off-site audits, giving carriers the opportunity to respond to safety and compliance concerns digitally, but it increases the likelihood of an interaction with an FMCSA official.

Set to go live on Jan. 6, 2020, the drug & alcohol clearinghouse will change the way truck drivers and carriers monitor drug testing.

Technology such as dash cams, ELDs, telematics and even diagnostics systems are helping fleets better manage their drivers and assets, and the opportunities to use this data are plentiful.

Compliance issues can result in large fines for companies, which is why some companies find outsourcing compliance programs to experts can be a financial win.

As of December 16, 2019, anyone running an AOBRD must switch to an ELD. There are steps that can be taken now to ensure the changeover will be painless.