DOT Compliance Help
WHEN the DOT calls will YOU be ready?


Class Descriptions

Click here for a current list of upcoming classes                                                                                                                            



Detailed Descriptions of DOT Classes

DOT 101 Compliance Overview and Audit Survival (Webinars & First Day of Conferences)

Part A: Introduction to DOT Compliance

The first portion is an overview of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and what you need to know to maintain compliance. We have condensed the most important performance measures you must make part of your company’s safety systems in order to be minimally compliant with the DOT regs. We will use a little-known tool – the MCS-150A – to illustrate your regulatory obligations. You will also be trained on the MCS-90, and what you need to do to safeguard your company’s safety record.

We will provide answers to the following questions and more:

> Who needs to register with the FMCSA?
> What does the DOT (and everyone with a computer) know about this company?
> What do you need to do with and what can you do about this data?
> Are you required to have Motor Carrier (MC) Authority?
> What are the MOST IMPORTANT things you need to understand about Driver Fitness, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Fatigued Driving, and Vehicle Maintenance BASICs?


We break down safety controls into the separate BASICs so you can focus the necessary attention and resources on each area.

Part B: Surviving DOT Visits and Interventions

Everyone fears the DOT - but if you understand their processes better, you can be prepared. With this training you can ensure that when you receive communications from the DOT, you can do the right things to prepare for Compliance Reviews and other interventions, minimize damage during the visit, and take the right steps after the fact.

A Compliance Review (aka DOT audit) is the current process for the DOT to measure your compliance status, but is changing dramatically with the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) program. We will train you to prepare for both, and have the proper documentation available during your review.

Part C: Understanding Violations and Minimizing Fines

There are thousands of things you are SUPPOSED to do. But there are certain things that YOU REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON because they are critical and acute violations. Some of these can result in an Out of Service Order, putting you out of business indefinitely. There are also ’16 Deadly Sins’ that can cause you to immediately fail an audit. We will cover these AND the new hot-button topics the FMCSA has introduced with CSA. We will include tips and tricks to help minimize fines from prior violations, and steps to take moving forward that will help you avoid them altogether.

This DOT compliance seminar is designed for management and supervisors of new DOT entrants, human resource professionals with safety responsibilities, or even experienced Safety and Operations professionals that just want to stay current with the changing landscape. All attendees will receive a Certificate of Completion to keep on file. Topics addressed in this workshop include, but are not limited to:

> Upcoming Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) implementation
> FMCSA, DOT, PHMSA, and State agencies and how they interact
> Accident register and other documentation, as well as accident countermeasures
> Driver Qualification Process and Files
> DOT rules for drug and alcohol testing and all paperwork that is required
> Hours of Service rules, monitoring and auditing procedures
> Maintenance procedures and required documentation
> Required training for all employees



Driver Qualification Workshop

We will cover the two main requirements that define a qualified driver and how to ensure both are managed. We will also define and describe all the steps you are required to take to ensure all drivers are fit and qualified, the industry standard practices, and the new rules governing this process.

Instruction covers the driver application, all required information and documentation, all information that must be verified, optional steps, and what to do when something goes wrong. We encourage you to compare the process you currently have in place with what is required and what our recommendations are to see if your company is making wise decisions regarding who is handling your most valuable assets - your vehicles. 
*Upon completion, you will receive a certificate for your records.

Hours of Service Workshop

We have all heard and seen dozens of stories about safety managers spending all of their time auditing logs and still getting violations. How do you get out of this trap?

1. We will share with you a tried and proven way to manage driver logs and decrease violations in what can be the most frustrating BASIC.

2. We will teach you how to organize, audit, and perform QC checks on logs, as well as counsel and educate your drivers.

3. We will define a compliant driver log, show examples of log violations, and explain some tips and tricks for identifying violations when auditing.

4. We will discuss individual concerns and issues with attendees.

The time you spend in this workshop will come back to you tenfold within the first month because the amount of time you spend working with drivers logs will be more efficient and effective. We will also discuss the new rule about Electronic On-board Recorders (EOBR) and why you might not want to wait until the DOT makes them mandatory.

*Upon completion, you will receive a certificate for your records.


Vehicle Maintenance Workshop

If you interviewed the maintenance managers of 37 companies that have extraordinarily SUCCESSFUL maintenance programs, what six or seven things would they unanimously say are the MOST important aspects of their program? We have already done this, and will present those findings to you in the Vehicle Maintenance class.

Most people are mystified by this exacting process. You have a couple files for each truck but none for the trailers, you have one file for all your maintenance receipts, or you don’t really have a maintenance file at all. Regardless of your current state, we will de-mystify the regulations for you and get you on the way to a maintenance documentation process that is efficient, effective and compliant. Vehicle Maintenance is always going to be time-consuming, but we will show you step-by-step descriptions of exactly what is required. Each attendee will be provided a fully compliant maintenance folder sample, and we will go through each part of the sample file. Most importantly, we set aside time to discuss attendees’ specific concerns, questions and unique situations (we keep class sizes small to facilitate this). 

Once you understand the documentation requirements, we will go over the difference between an annual DOT inspection and a roadside inspection conducted by a CMV enforcement officer. We will also explain how your maintenance staff can minimize the number of out-of-service roadside inspections, and why that is so important to your company.

When this session is done, you will be better able to prioritize time spent in this important area of DOT Compliance.

*Upon completion, you will receive a certificate for your records.


Accident Reporting & Prevention Workshop

We discuss the nature of the load securement regulations, how to manage a successful system of training and reinforcement, and how to avoid having an elevated BASIC due to a driver who is unable to properly secure a load. We will also present an introduction to the Hazardous Materials regulations.


Supervisor Drug and Alcohol Training (required per FMCSR §382.603 - Training for Supervisors)

There are two topics mandated by the DOT for Supervisor Drug and Alcohol Training (required per FMCSR §382.603):We will teach you every aspect of drug and alcohol testing to include reasonable suspicion testing. Do you know who gets tested for drugs, what drugs they test for or what that allowable Blood Alcohol Content is? Do you know how to recognize a driver who is impaired and what to do? Do you know the rules for conducting a reasonable suspicion test, or how to treat a driver who self-reports? What if a driver sees another driver abusing an illegal substance?  Can you afford to not know the answer to these questions?

-The reasonable suspicion determination process.

-The negative health effects associated with illegal drugs, illegal use of prescription drugs, and excessive use of alcohol.


In addition to covering those topics, we also answer the most common questions and concerns with the Drug & Alcohol BASIC, like:

Who gets tested? What should they be tested for? What is the allowable Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)? How do you recognize a driver who is impaired and what should you do? How can you make sure you follow the correct legal protocol? What are the rules for conducting a reasonable suspicion test? How should you handle a driver who self-reports? What should you do when one driver reports another?

Can you afford to not know the answer to these questions?

Knowledge gained from this session will assist you in developing and maintaining your company’s drug and alcohol testing program, which is required for all companies with trucks greater than 26,000 GVWR. In addition to the required elements of the mandated Supervisor Drug & Alcohol training, we will share with you many lessons learned from countless safety managers, enforcement staff, and Drug & Alcohol treatment professionals.

Included in this presentation is a significant amount of material that is outside the ordinary scope of the supervisor drug and alcohol training – things you NEED to know to help you and others in your company make wise choices regarding drug and alcohol issues.


NOTE: 
Upon completion, you will receive a signed certificate for your records

If you are a construction company and only transport 115 gallons of fuel at a time, is it just because you don’t know how to comply with HazMat Regs? If you understand what is involved you are more likely to make wise decisions.

Do you use solvents, flammables or any other potentially dangerous goods in your business?

Are you exempt under the materials of trade regulations?

This workshop will help you discern what your load securement issues are and how to take care of them.

*Upon completion, you will receive a certificate for your records.


Train the Trainer Workshop

This three-part workshop provides you the tools you need to perform three mandatory compliance-related tasks:

Part A:  New Driver Training

The DOT requires you to provide training for all new drivers hired since Feb 2003.  Topics include qualification / disqualification of CMV operators, Hours of Service, Driver wellness, and the whistleblower rule(s). It’s not hard, it doesn’t take long, and you will probably have a fine if you have a Compliance Review and it hasn’t been done. We will go over the materials with you, including the training and the required documentation. You will leave with master copies of the materials that you can reproduce when needed.

Part B:  Driver Drug and Alcohol Training

Drivers who are subject to drug and alcohol testing must  have a one-hour training period covering the DOT-mandated testing process and your company drug and alcohol testing policy. What must be covered and how can I train a group of drivers?  How much of the hour should be spent on the DOT drug and alcohol testing regs and how much on our company’s policy? How can I present these complicated processes to our driver staff? Is it OK to just ‘throw the book at them’ and make them sign for it? Or do we actually have to train them?

Part C:  Company Drug and Alcohol Policy

How can I train drivers on a policy that was provided by the drug lab? It sounds like it was written in pig-latin by a group of lawyers! If it was written for drivers it would be easier to explain it to drivers, right? We have a sample / example company drug and alcohol policy that is written for drivers to read, and we will go over with you how to read it to them and document the fact the training has taken place, as required by the FMCSA.