Things To Review Regularly To Help You Remain DOT Compliant
Whether you are a commercial driver or the owner of a company that employs commercial drivers, it is imperative that you remain compliant with DOT regulations. Violations can result in large fines or keep your from operating. Because compliance can be confusing at times, and different states have tweaked the federal regulations a bit, you need to keep a manual at all warehouses and in every truck. There are a few specific regulations you should refer to on a regular basis to make sure things have not changed.
Driver's Record
Every driver must record any time that they are driving in the driver's record. You need to go over these records daily. Check with your state's Department of Transportation every six months to a year to check on the regulations regarding how much time a driver can spend behind the wheel. The regulations may be for a single day, a single trip, or the number of hours in a specified time frame. Be sure to check if a day starts and ends at midnight or if it starts when the driver starts the day.
Vehicle Maintenance Records
The vehicle needs to be properly maintained to be safe on the roads. The driver and mechanic need to keep detailed records of any maintenance performed. The driver should also have a check list he or she goes over before every and after every trip. If there was no pre-trip inspection done and something goes wrong that causes and accident or injury you may end up with large fines. In addition, if your vehicle insurance company finds out about a lack of compliance they are probably not going to pay on any claim filed and odds are pretty high they will find out.
Load Records
Everything that goes on a truck needs to be documented. This will include is size, shape, and weight. The load needs to be such that it is not too much for the truck. If the truck was hauling something exceptionally large, but within compliance regulations, make sure that it is tagged and has all the necessary signs and lights of a wide or over-sized load. Be sure to keep enough of these on hand at all times.
Going over all the different records allows you to ensure that things are being done correctly. If you notice something is wrong, make sure that the situation is addressed so that it will not happen again. Do not jeopardize your job or business by not following all DOT compliance regulations. Reach out to a business that offers DOT compliance help to learn more.
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