Are you ready to take a deep dive into one of the 7 BASIC categories that truck drivers are judged by? Listen, truckers, this topic is for you! The last thing we want is for truck drivers to get violations, which is why we wanted to spend some time talking about how you can avoid them.
The purpose of these systems of governance, from CSA to BASIC scores, is to ostensibly reduce crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. The numbers have been on the rise, and some of the patterns are defying historical norms. Although the BASIC scores are a product of regulation, they carry purpose. They are supposed to encourage safety.
When it comes to safety scores, certain BASIC categories are weighted hieigher than others. But in the end, scores are merely the result of a collection of data points. There is some benefit to the trucking company as well, simply because the CSA Safety Measurement System provides a structure to work with. Instead of getting a mass of data, violations are categorized.
Focus on Maintenance
One of the most important BASIC categories is vehicle maintenance. We spend a lot of time talking about preventative maintenance because it is one of the best ways to keep fleet costs low and truck drivers happy.
There are specific components you must consider when you conduct an inspection. Consider the common things, like brakes and lights, but also look for other defects, problems with tires, and dents or dings. These must be recorded in a DVIR, and inspectors will want to know they are accounted for when you are under inspection.
In fact, if you were to examine FMCSA violation categories, you would find some of the common inspection factors are included. Inspectors will want to see the following defect categories:
- Tires
- Tires v Load
- Windshield
- Lights
Hours of Service Primer
One of the primary compliance-related regulations governing the life of every truck driver is the hours-of-service regulation. And if you are a new truck driver or trucking company and you want to stay on the right side of the law, you need to make sure you fully understand and comply with all hours-of-service regulations.
And with so much change happening on the state and federal level, it can seem hard to keep up with HOS regs. Fortunately, we are here to help. Here are the basic rules surrounding HOS:
- 11-Hour Drive Limit: Once you have driven a total of 11 hours, you have reached the driving limit and must be off duty for another 10 consecutive hours (or equivalent) before driving your truck again.
- 14-Hour Limit: You may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period.
- 30-Minute Driving Break: The 30-minute break rule requires that you take a break of 30 consecutive minutes after driving for 8 hours. It also means that you can perform non-driving tasks after 8 hours without taking a break. However, you will have to take a break of at least 30 minutes before they resume driving duties.
- 60/70 Hour Limit: You may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
- Sleeper Berth Provision: The split sleeper berth provision allows you to extend an on-duty shift. You accomplish that by splitting your required 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time into two shifts. At this point, you then take an 8-hour break in the sleeper berth—which pauses your 14-hour clock.
- Adverse Driving Conditions: Adverse driving conditions means snow, ice, sleet, fog, or other adverse weather conditions or unusual road or traffic conditions that were not known, or could not reasonably be known, to you immediately prior to beginning your duty day or immediately before beginning driving after a qualifying rest.
- Short–Haul Exception: If you usually come back to your work-reporting location and go home at the end of your workday, you might be able to use the 16-hour short-haul exception. This exception allows you to extend the 14-consecutive-hour driving window to 16 hours once every 7 consecutive days.
Your Comprehensive Compliance Toolkit
As an owner-operator or small trucking company, you need to understand that you have an obligation, under the law, to ensure you complete all the paperwork required to stay in compliance. Whether this be ensuring DVIRs are completed, annual inspections are logged, or technicians properly log the work they do on each vehicle, if you aren’t keeping proper documentation, you stand the risk of a violation.
Are you transporting hazardous materials? If so, it is even more important that you follow regulations, especially considering there are additional regulations hazardous cargo transporters must follow. Fortunately, there simply is no excuse with the digital tools available to trucking companies today.
Having the tool set you need to ensure across-the-board compliance is critical to running a successful business. Have you considered fleet management software vendors that offer digital inspection reports and comprehensive data tracking? In many cases, these systems can be integrated with current telematics and ELD technology.
When you consider a technology partner, think about the following:
- A simple documentation solution for both at home and during inspections out on the road.
- Documentation systems or databases to keep track of repairs and preventative maintenance.
- A system in place for tracking all hours of service and ELD information.
The fact is this: If you want to be a successful operator in today’s marketplace, you must ensure you are following all the current laws and regulations. This also means staying up to date on the changes that come with a new administration and congress. If you aren’t, and your trucking company suffers as a result, you will only have yourself to blame.
Consult a Professional
If you are unsure about what compliance best practices you should put into place, do not hesitate to fall back on your telematics or fleet management software provider. These companies are used to helping their clients get the most out of their systems. Don’t be ashamed, especially if you are a new operator or trucking company. Starting a business, and a trucking company especially, is not easy.
To simplify your record retention and ensure your truck drivers and back office employees are happy, pay close attention to your current policies. Are they designed in such a way to ensure compliance from your front-line truck drivers to those working at home office? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are my policies clear and understandable?
- Are the company’s compliance guidelines actionable and adjustable in case the law changes?
- Would it be easier if you automated workflows or should your processes be more manual in nature?
- Should you set specific reminders for technicians, truck drivers, and even yourself to ensure the proper guidelines are being followed?
If you run into a wall trying to draft the appropriate policies, always fall back on the FMCSRs, as they will guide you and usually have the most recent information. Or feel free to browse back through our blog, where we cover just about every topic related to compliance.