5 Regulations that Affect Your Trucking Business the Most
In order to operate a trucking business, one must comply with an assortment of regulations set forth by the government. Compliance with these regulations can be costly, time consuming, and challenging. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 such regulations that have the biggest impact on trucking businesses. We hope that this information will help you better understand and navigate the regulatory landscape.
1. Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A commercial driver's license (CDL) is a driver's license required to operate large, heavy, or placarded hazardous material vehicles for commercial purposes in the United States. there are a few prerequisites that must be met - Be at least 21 years of age - or 18 years of age in some states! Then you must successfully complete driver training from FMCSA-approved training providers. After, you will submit a completed Medical Examination Report Form and Medical Examiner’s Certificate Form. after you pass a knowledge exam with the state, you will be issued a Commercial Learner’s Permit. Then you must wait a minimum of 14 days before you can schedule your CDL road skills examination (at which point in time you will either need to borrow a truck or provide your own) in order to Pass a pre-trip inspection portion of the test. When you pass the driving examination, you just have to pay the necessary fees for your new CDL! When utilizing CDL drivers they must go through a vigorous testing of character as well as driving ability. Be sure to never forget your background checks.
2. Hours of Service (HOS)
The FMCSA is the lead federal government agency responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles, and essentially sets the requirements for all standards pertaining to commercial motor vehicles. To ensure that drivers get the necessary rest to maintain safe roads, they have set guidelines for drivers in CMVs moving freight. For truck drivers, that means their shift is limited to 14 consecutive hours that must be followed by 10 consecutive hours off duty. Drivers are allowed to drive for 11 hours (leaving 3 hours of allotted "wait time" built into the 14 hour a day shift restraint.) Drivers must also take a 30 minute break within their first 8 hours of drive time in order to drive their full 11 hour drive shift. While it does take some getting used to, the use of ELDs assists drivers keep track of their work shifts / drive shifts & breaks. Drivers can only drive 60 hours during a 7 day period of time - or 70 hours in an 8 day period of time - and when their hours of service limits are reached, they must be off work for 34 hours in order to drive their next 7 or 8 day period. If you would like to know more about the hours of service , click here.
3. Driver Qualification Files (DQF)
The driver qualification file, or DQF, is an FMCSA record-keeping requirement that trucking companies must meet for every employed driver. Even if you are your trucking company's only driver, you will still need a DQF for yourself! Each file must have documents and history for the driver, including a photo of the drivers' CDL, a copy of their MVR & road test sign off for the current company. The FMCSA requires that records for the DQF need to be kept for the preceding 3 years and these files can be (and will be) audited by the FMCSA. Specifically if you are starting a trucking company and or in business already, this is going to be a huge assisting factor for your long-term success. I guarantee that the government will send you an email for an audit whether in person or online.
4. Drug and Alcohol Testing
The FMCSA requires all drivers of commercial motor vehicles be drug tested at random. The FMCSA Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a secure, online database that gives employers and other authorized users real-time information about commercial driver’s drug and alcohol program violations. Employers must register to meet their Clearinghouse requirements & Report drug and alcohol violations. Since the FMCSA is charged with ensuring the CMV industry is as safe as possible, failure to comply with these regulations can result in heavy fines and other penalties, or even be put Out Of Service. Be sure when doing your research that you are able to find the best value for your consortium or company that will take your drug exams. Keep close file of all drug exams and if possible steer clear from any repeat offenders.
5. Vehicle Maintenance
The Vehicle Maintenance Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) is one of seven categories that the FMCSA uses to determine how a motor carrier ranks relative to other carriers with a similar number of safety events. All employers should their educate drivers about how to properly conduct pre-trip and post-trip inspections, record vehicle defects on DVIRs, and ensure that any defects which would hinder safe operation of the vehicle are repaired BEFORE operating the vehicle. Adequate records are required of your vehicle maintenance for each vehicle in your fleet - such as work orders, invoices, receipts, and other documents. Take note of this tip! Have higher standards than the FMCSA. If something is broken, be sure to replace it instead of adding a temporary fix. For example If there is a issue with the cylinder head leaking, then be sure to replace all possible gaskets around the engine as depressurization will cause further issue in the future
For transportation companies, navigating the regulatory landscape may be difficult. Understanding and following the rules is, nonetheless, crucial for running a trucking business. Hopefully, this blog post has given you some useful knowledge on the regulations that affect trucking companies the most. At AJG Transport, we make sure that our company and all our drivers strongly abide by these regulations. We firmly believe that compliance is essential for operating a safe and successful trucking business.
AJG Transport Operation Team