dot safety audit

Yes you do need accident register. Make sure drug testing is all documented before hire date. The drug part will be your biggest score. Need maintainence reports, annual inspections, and insurance documents. If it's a first time audit don't be worried too much, be polite and willing to learn. They are there to make sure you know how to be compliant. If you are missing something they will have it before they leave. Unless you did not participate in drug/alcohol testing you will pass. More than likely they will scan a few pages of logs and move on. Pretty good experience all around, don't sweat it. I scored a perfect score on mine. You should have gotten the inspectors phone number, give him/her a call and explain your situation and they should reschedule with no issue. Good luck

 

You must have an employee file for everyone that drives for you. Including you. If something happens to you how does anyone review your records.
You also have to have drug alcohol training. Yes you have to be signed up for random drug testing. I think it cost me $75 a year and $25 for each time I'm tested. You should have drug tested yourself before you drove your truck. Some of these penalties are pretty stiff. I would have all this done before your audit. Take the time before or you will wish you had.
Some inspectors will let you by if you have all in place before your audit but nail you hard if you don't.
Like all DOT some understand some never have to.
All items on a safety checklist pertain to all carriers. Single driver or multi.
Remember every violation has a penalty for driver and a penalty for the carrier. You are both the drive and carrier, any violations and you have to pay both penalties.
My first audit the inspector told me within 3 minutes before he looked at anything. He told me I would have to pay a fine of $2500. I asked why and he said my name came up for some reason and that a minimum I would have to pay. Plus someone had to pay for him to be there.
He did give me a fine of $2500. This was in 98. I only had myself as a driver. He found three days my logbook entries did not match my fuel receipts. I was very naïve back then. I wasn't aware they would go to my fuel card company and get the time records of when I fueled. I made sure I logged the same day not always the same time. Ever since then I have.
MY next two audits I had several trucks O/O's and employees. I was given zero fines even thou I had 15-20 minor violations. Just depends on the person doing the audit.
Get your ducks in a row and good luck.

 

You need to have documented that you are in charge of all drug testing. Being a single operator though they will frown on you for not being in a consortium where you get pooled with other drivers for randoms but you won't fail because of it. Make sure your testing date and results are dated before your actual hire date. You must have the results on hand. Like I said try to be polite and have things organized and they will have you compliant when they leave if you are lacking in one area.

 

they are going to check your logs against any tickets or DOT inspections,,maintenance records, if your drug testing consortium sign up only shows a recent enrolment you are in trouble,,could get fined $10K, they will look at bill of ladings ,,toll receipts and fuel receipts to match logs ,

 

You should also have an MVR on yourself. This you need to get every year and also you must have a list of all violations by driver written and signed by driver every year. Maybe it can be generated by a computer now days. But you do need this report.

 

they are there to help like 359 said drug testing biggest thing,i guess depends on inspector but it was a pleasant experience in the end.good luck on your new venture.i did it 5 years ago best move i ever made.

 

check with ooida... they have people that do nothing but this kind of thing... also have a durg/alcohol consortium