A modern transportation system provides reliability for goods and people to reach their destinations, boosts the nation’s economic competitiveness, and enhances the quality of life for all Americans.
For this reason, the safety of national roads is a top priority for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and it is ensured through safety audits.
While some infractions are concerning and will be remedied during a DOT safety audit, others are completely unacceptable and will result in a safety audit failure.
According to DOT Safety Compliance – Simplex Group, the best solution to avoid failure during a safety audit is to prepare ahead, preferably with the help of a specialist in DOT Compliance.
Types of Violations
There are a few significant violations to look out for if you face a Compliance Review. In the view of the FMCSA, all of the following are critical and will result in an immediate unsatisfactory or conditional safety rating classification.
Alcohol and Drug Violations
This violation occurs when a motor carrier fails to develop a commercial driver drug and alcohol testing program. This includes international and domestic carriers and random and planned drug and alcohol tests. It is also a violation allowing a motorist with a blood alcohol content of.04 or above to operate a commercial vehicle or a driver that recently tested positive for the use of a restricted drug.
Driver Violations
To ensure the safety of fellow motorists and pedestrians, the drivers hired by a company should comply with a set of demands. Violations in this area include hiring a motorist who does not have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL), a driver who is medically incapable of performing required activities, and a driver having a CDL that has been revoked and suspended or canceled.
Maintenance Violations
This violation is related to the vehicles a company operates and their safety. Running a vehicle that hasn’t been examined annually, operating a vehicle that has been declared out-of-service (OOS) for safety issues before repairs have been completed, or failing to complete OOS repairs documented in driver-vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) will result in instant failure.
Operator Violations
If you are discovered operating a motor vehicle without the appropriate amount of insurance or neglecting to compel drivers to keep hours-of-service records, you will receive an instant failure.
Consequences
Every action comes with a consequence, and some are more severe than others. To ensure the safety of the roads, the law punishes any violation found during a DOT Safety Audit.
You might face fines ranging from $250 to $5,591 if your drivers operate without legal licensing. Denying access to documents might result in penalties of up to $1,239 each day, totaling $12,383.
Falsifying documents is not only unethical, but it may also lead to fines of up to $3,760. Last but not least, infractions involving hazardous materials can result in fines of up to $79,976.
In addition to the mentioned fees, if a firm fails a DOT safety audit, they will be given a full explanation of why they failed and the criteria for developing a corrective action plan (CAP). Within 60 days for property carriers and 45 days for passenger/hazmat carriers, the firm must demonstrate disciplinary action by filing a Safety Management Plan considered acceptable by the FMCSA. They risk being removed from service if they fail to do so.
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