Help With DOT Compliance
Topic 31028 | Page 1
Are you a company driver?
Are you asking about what rules and regulations a driver must follow?
There are MANY ways of being DOT compliant. Are you referring to compliant within the boundaries of hours of service (HOS), inspections, transporting Haz, cargo securement, general rules related to CMV operation, etc etc etc.?
If you went through a training program, dig out the training manual and start reading it. Again. Front to back, or focus on question areas first. I spent 26 years out of a 28 year career before this one as a hands on direct trainer, or as a supervisor of those training and being trained. My #1 rule for every recruit officer was "Get a copy of the Criminal and Traffic codes. Put them on the top of the tank at home. When you're so engaged in constitutional, read that. Not G&A, not People, not a skin mag.". Here I would say "Get the state CDL manual from the Internet for the state you're licensed in. Read it, front to back. Look up, in that annoying green FMCSA pocket rag, the statutes that are referenced in the manual. Don't play xbox, or watch netflix, or partake of the pleasures that only exist in truck stop lots (YUCK). You'll learn a lot." Avoid YOUTUBE videos, unless you get a rec from one of the moderators or significantly experience drivers here. Every jackwagon in the world has their opinion on there, but is it factually and legally sound?
Good luck. That FMCSA manual is actually a complete listing of all the things you need to know. It's gleaning the applicable nuggets to your situation that are key.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
CMV:
Commercial Motor Vehicle
A CMV is a vehicle that is used as part of a business, is involved in interstate commerce, and may fit any of these descriptions:
- Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
- Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
- Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
- Is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Yes I’m a company LTL driver. Thanks
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
Also I’m doing Hazmat and securing it, using the placards I’m endorsed but need to learn more. A lot more. Thanks for your replies.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
This is what I used for placarding before FedEx embedded all this in my brain. I still use it for reference for stuff I'm not familiar with.
I'm assuming this is what you're asking for. What company are you driving for?
They gave me that. Magnum. Thanks
What are you asking about? I'm little confused. Compliance with what specifically?
Insurance, paperwork, IFTA, what is Correct load strapping? My logs.
Insurance, paperwork, IFTA, what is Correct load strapping? My logs.
Idk what you mean by insurance. Make sure the card is valid. That's the extent of your compliance.
Paperwork is company specific, but you need a BOL for everything you're carrying, especially hazmat.
Idk what you mean by correct load strapping, but hazmat has to be strapped to a wall. Not a strap going across, strapped to a wall. That's really the only strapping you need to worry about in LTL.
You don't know how to be compliant with your logs? 70/34/14/11/10. That's day 1 of training.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
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This topic has the following tags:
Advice For New Truck Drivers DOT Electronic Logbooks HAZMAT Understanding The Laws
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Hi everyone, I’m a few months licensed driving local LTL. I really need a better understanding of what I need to do to stay DOT compliant. I’ve been reading up on it but so much is written about it. Is there some kind of basic check list out there I can print? Thank you.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.