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5 Things DOT Inspectors Want Drivers to Know

1.    What DOT Inspector Screens Show when Drivers Near a Weigh-station

As you near a weigh -station, DOT inspectors are pulling drivers’ basic information up on their screens. There are three things inspectors look for first: ISS (Inspection Selection System) score, vehicle out-of-service score, and driver out-of-service score.

These scores are color coded based on the score level. If a score is near or worse than the national average, the score will be highlighted red. If the score is just below the national average, the score will be highlighted yellow. If the score is in a healthy position, the score will be highlighted green. Inspectors are looking to see if there is a lot of red or yellow across their screen. If there are 3 red scores, you will be pulled in for an inspection.

On occasion, if the rating system does not have enough data on a carrier to give basic scores (because they are a good carrier and they always get waived through scales) we have seen the system spike the company ISS score just to generate some inspection data. Once they get 3-5 inspections, the ISS returns to normal.

 

2.              Some Reasons Why a Driver May be Inspected at a Weigh-station

·        If a driver’s ISS or Out-of-service ratings are near or worse than the national average.
    • Driver Out-of-Service national average = 5.5%
    • Vehicle Out-of-Service national average = 20.7%
    • ISS Score
      • 1-49 = Passing
      • 50-74 = Optional
      • 75-100 = Inspect
·        If you have a headlight out, it may bring attention to you.

Inspectors may assume the driver did not do a good pre-trip inspection because it is unlikely the headlight goes out between two stations. Inspectors may assume there are other maintenance violations or a lack of a maintenance program, and will look at tires, lug-nuts, lights, etc. in more detail.

·        If your truck is dirty, it may bring attention to you.

If the truck is not taken care of properly, inspectors may assume that the driver might not fix bigger problems, such as brakes, suspension, or other more serious issues. Inspectors will look more closely at these areas for violations.

·        Sometimes, inspections are just completely random.

Inspectors are known to bring drivers in randomly for inspection. They may set-up a certain ration, such as 1:4 trucks driving by will be pulled in for a limited time.

3.              What the different Levels of Inspection mean:

Drivers have a lot of differing opinions on what each level of inspection actually mean. Below is a summary of each type of truck safety inspections conducted throughout North America.

  • LEVEL I — A complete inspection that includes a check of the driver´s license, medical examiner´s certificate (and waiver, if any), alcohol and drugs, hours of service, seat belt, vehicle inspection report, brake system, coupling devices, exhaust system, frame, fuel system, turn signals, brake and tail lamps, headlamps, lamps on loads, load securement, steering, suspension, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels and rims, windshield wipers, emergency exits on buses and hazardous materials requirements, as applicable.
  • LEVEL II — A “walk-around” inspection that includes a check of each of the items in a Level I inspection but not items that require the inspector to physically get under the truck.
  • LEVEL III — An inspection of just the driver-related items in a Level I inspection.
  • LEVEL IV — A special inspection, typically a one-time examination of a particular item for a safety study or to verify or refute a suspected trend.
  • LEVEL V — An inspection of just the truck-related items in a Level I inspection.
  • LEVEL VI — An inspection of a shipment of highway-route-controlled quantities of radiological material. A Level VI inspection includes an enhanced check of each of the items in a Level I inspection.

 

4.              How to treat your DOT Inspectors

DOT Inspectors understand that coming in for an inspection are keeping drivers from driving and can be a nuisance. Inspectors talk to many different types of drivers every day. Like a referee in sports, treating the inspectors with respect is the best way to prevent any detailed inspection and will help you get on the road more quickly. A common request by inspectors is if they asks driver questions, provide the answer and everything will move more smoothly.

In situations when a driver is giving lots of attitude toward the inspector, some inspectors may respond more harshly in their inspection, they are human after all. Some inspectors, not all, may have a chip on their shoulder or have a “heavy badge”, which is understandably irritating in the drivers’ perspective.

However, if you treat an inspector respectfully, inspectors are more likely to explain what they are looking at and why you may have received a violation. Also, if you respectfully complain about being pulled in several times in the last day or two, most inspectors will explain what they see on their screens and why this inspection is currently happening – giving you the chance to understand what needs to be fixed to prevent inspections in the future. Additionally, if you show them the most recent inspection forms, they may just let you pass.

 

5.              DOT Inspectors Perspective on ELDs

With the mandatory adoption of ELDs coming down the road, it is interesting to look at some DOT inspectors’ perspectives when drivers with an ELD come in for an inspection.

If a truck currently has an ELD or other e-log type of devise, drivers may find inspectors not wanting to waste their time looking over your driving logs. ELDs help driver logs stay compliant and inspectors usually do not find errors on the logs. Some inspectors even worry about those devices that give the home terminal access where they can abuse the data and change the logs to hide violations.

However, with the ELD rule currently on the books, drivers may find that they are asked to bring up their ELD logs in order to help inspectors get use to the new process. In these situations, inspectors tend to look for manipulations, such as using a ghost-driver (logging a second driver as on-duty when only one driver in the truck) or for a 5th “personal conveyance” line.

Why some big names aren’t on the FMCSA-approved ELD list

Truckers, suppliers concerned about self-certification process, compliance

 

Jun 23, 2016 Aaron Marsh  American Trucker

With about a year and a half left before most U.S. trucks will need to have some sort of electronic logging device, or ELD, just five vendors have added their products the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s list of compliant devices. None yet are the big-name providers of electronic driver log recording instruments that conform to FMCSA’s requirements in place for Automatic On-board Recording Devices, or AOBRDs, which are the current option to paper logs and a precursor to the mandated ELDs.

Complicating matters, trucking companies and some technology vendors have expressed concern about whether the self-certified products truly will be compliant with the ELD final rule’s requirements, and Elise Chianelli, director of safety and compliance at fleet management technology company PeopleNet, spells out three things truckers should be aware of regarding where that process is now.

“In terms of the industry, I think it’s going to be year’s end or into next year before you really start to see a lot of credible names pop up” in the self-certified compliant ELD list, Chianelli says.

1. Certain FMCSA software/systems relating to ELD compliance aren’t yet available.

If the Department of Transportation (DOT) shows up after the Dec. 18, 2017 ELD compliance deadline to audit a carrier’s driver logs, either a driver will provide needed info to authorities at the roadside or the carrier will provide info from the back office to auditors. Chianelli says FMCSA will then take the information collected and run it through what the agency is calling its “ERODS,” or Electronic Record of Duty Status, system to determine compliance with federal Hours of Service regulations.

“At this point, FMCSA has not yet released access to ERODS. There’s been rumors we may not see that until the latter half of this year,” she notes. “So in terms of being able to bring a compliant product to market, we’re unsure how [an ELD provider] would know now that they are or are not compliant before they know that what they’re showing for hours of service available matches what FMCSA shows for hours of service available.”

2. Information required for one of the four ELD information transfer methods FMCSA specified also is not yet available.

FMCSA has outlined that ELDs will be able to transfer their data via web service, email, Bluetooth connectivity or USB 2.0 connection, Chianelli points out. However, for the “web services” transfer method, “FMCSA has not yet published where we would post the files to,” she says. “The web services URL has not yet been provided.”

“We at PeopleNet feel we will need to have access to these systems to ensure that when we release our ELD product, yes, it is indeed compliant with all the different specifications,” she adds.

3. FMCSA has published a 400-plus-page document of ELD test cases that is optional for vendors to use in developing their ELD products.

In terms of what is available now, FMCSA published a 440-page document in late April containing ELD test cases and procedures, Chianelli notes. FMCSA states that “although use of the ELD test procedures set forth in this document is not binding on ELD providers . . . FMCSA would use these test procedures to evaluate compliance if the Agency decides to undertake an independent evaluation of an ELD that has been certified by the provider.”

So in other words, “if there is an audit of your [ELD] solution, those test cases are what they (FMCSA) would use in order to determine compliance,” says Chianelli. “FCMSA has stated that you can use the test cases they’ve provided to ensure your product is in compliance, but you don’t have to.

“At the end of the day, this is definitely an area where we feel it’s very important for carriers to do their research and due diligence before making that purchase decision,” she continues. “They need to make sure they’re partnering with the right people who understand the complexities involved” when it comes to ELDs.

Advice for now?

Again, Chianelli emphasizes that PeopleNet and many of the company’s peers in the ELD provider community aren’t likely to self-certify their ELD products until later this year or into 2017.

“And remember, that’s when and if FMCSA grants access to these other applications or pieces of information that will be required,” she notes.

While there are five companies to date that officially claim their products are compliant with the ELD final rule, Chianelli says FMCSA is expecting perhaps four or five times that many vendors ultimately will have products on the self-certified list.

HAVE YOU SOLVED THE DRIVER RETENTION PROBLEM YET?

Greg Mechler is this month’s guest columnist.  Greg is an expert in the development of transportation leaders.  Greg is the President of Human Advantage, Inc.  He has consulted in the trucking industry for over 30 years.  He is especially focused on the selection of talent and development of people in the industry.

You can learn more about Greg and his company here.

 

HAVE YOU SOLVED THE DRIVER RETENTION PROBLEM YET??

A report published in 2015 from market research firm Gallup finds there’s still plenty of truth in that old cliché – “people leave managers not companies”.  The survey of 7,200 adults found that about half had left a job at some point “to get away from their manager”.

APPROACHES

Perhaps you have already tried many approaches to reducing driver turnover, from incentives, benefits and perks, to the many solutions from OEM’s, technology vendors, seat makers, and more, all claiming if you only install or use their product, drivers will be attracted to your company and stay longer.

Yet companies in the truckload industry struggle to retain drivers year after year and turnover rates continue to hover around 100% or more.

You may have tried a lot of highly touted solutions but have you tried significantly upgrading the driver management position?

The Gallup study suggests that the person who manages the driver is a major variable in the retention/turnover challenge.  There are many other studies that reflect the same result – people leave managers, not companies.  Is this true for your company??

THE DRIVER MANAGER

For the purpose of this article we will use the title “Driver Manager” (DM) to refer to any position directly responsible for day-to-day operational performance.

You may have different titles depending on your size, your service segment (van, flat, tank, local, dedicated, and more) and your operations department structure.  Some titles we have seen are fleet manager, driver manager, driver coordinator, driver supervisor, dispatcher – the list is endless.

The DM is the person responsible for the day-to-day dispatch, coordination, and performance of the driver workforce?”

This is the person drivers perceive as their boss.  This is the person that can positively influence drivers to stay or conversely, cause them to go elsewhere.

In this article and future articles we will explore ways to strengthen this important position in your company.

ROLE CLARITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, LEADERSHIP

The title does not really matter but role clarity, accountability, and leadership does.  Whether it is formalized or not this front line leadership role is influencing driver performance for better or worse.

If the DM does not have role clarity, accountability, and leadership capability, he or she cannot do their job properly.

Usually the DM has an assigned fleet of drivers with responsibility for optimizing the performance of the fleet.  In our view they are really running a profit center.

Each truck and driver enhances profitability or detracts from it.  Even though the DM is able to have substantial impact on performance, in our experience many carriers choose to treat this role as a low level, almost clerical role, rather than the leadership position that it is.

These companies fail to hire top caliber leaders, keep the compensation low, do not hold people accountable for results, and they do not train and develop people for greater responsibility.  As a result the DM is not able build strong productive relationships with drivers and they are not able to influence performance outcomes.

RESULTS

Our contention is that a strong DM must have both accountability and authority for managing a fleet of drivers.

The DM should be accountable for the overall performance of the fleet (usually 30 to 40 trucks and drivers), especially in terms of fleet profitability (operating margin), productivity (miles/truck/week), and driver turnover rate and retention %.

To be an effective performer, the DM must manage key result factors such as preventable turnover rate, miles/truck/week; revenue/truck/week; DOT compliance; on-time %; and more.

In order to do this and have real accountability, DMs must have sufficient authority to make decisions related to driver performance such as load selection, discipline, and goal setting.  Then they are able to build real working relationships with their drivers and have a positive influence on retention.

When there is real accountability for fleet performance including driver retention, results improve and make a direct positive impact on profitability and growth.

Effective DMs directly impact the financial performance of the company.  Therefore it is necessary to fully understand and appreciate the role and what it takes to develop a successful DM.  In our research on the DM role we have found 5 groups of competencies and 6 leadership dimensions that must be utilized to achieve success.

COMPETENCIES

  1. Basic skills and knowledge – business acumen, industry knowledge, computer skills, etc.
  2. Daily work flow – load tracking, load assignment, problem response, etc.
  3. Administrative and organizational – keeping records and information current
  4. Relationship development – communication, empathy, advocacy, etc.
  5. Leadership and management – setting goals, coaching, recognition, performance management, etc.

LEADERSHIP DISCIPLINES

  1. Perspective – the way of viewing the business, relationships, and results
  2. Preparation – doing the work necessary to make good decisions and get results
  3. Way with People – being the kind of person who others can respect and relate with
  4. Courage to be decisive – uses sound judgment to make effective decisions
  5. Teamwork and team play – working with others to accomplish extraordinary results
  6. Results with excellence – achieving lasting results not just short term solutions

There are specific steps carriers can take to create and staff this essential leadership role.  When done well this process creates a pool of leadership talent that is ready to go when needed as the organization grows.  The steps include:

  • Making a commitment to an upgraded DM role
  • Clearly defining the role, responsibilities and accountability
  • Hiring the right people who can perform well in this role
  • Developing and training the right people with a development process that starts at the time of hire and continues throughout the career life cycle

The payoff  – increasingly excellent business results, lower driver turnover and better driver performance, and the creation of a deep pool of leadership talent that can handle new opportunities in the future.

In future articles we will outline the essential competencies and leadership disciplines in more detail along with recommendations for implementing this strategy.

 

Best Value

By John Sheehy.  President, NSRMCA.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between lowest price and best value?  On the surface, it would seem in most cases the lowest price is the “best value”.  I can think of many instances where the lowest price is not always the best value.  For example, there was a test I read about recently where two tires were compared.  One tire was significantly lower in price than the other tire.  One would think that the lower priced tire was the best value, except that during operational tests the more expensive tire proved to offer better fuel economy.  The improved fuel economy when extrapolated over the life of the tire showed the more expensive tire had a significantly lower total cost of ownership than the cheaper tire.  Can a process like this really be a successful way to evaluate a contract?

During the very well attended Las Vegas Regional meeting, the 5 contracting officers tag teamed a very informative presentation revolving around best value in postal contracting.  Preparing a transportation proposal today is much more involved than just presenting your best price.  Price is certainly a very important factor but the ability to show lowest cost or best value looks to be what the contracting officers are challenged to evaluate today.  I believe this is great news for an industry that has been driven to very low to zero operational margins over the past 10 years.

As a supplier, you are now challenged to present a case that you are the best value to the USPS.  This still may be lowest price, but the other factors that will come into play.  An example will be Environmental Sustainability.  In a proposal, the supplier will need to present their plan to be environmentally sustainable.  This may mean the ability to use alternative energy, which was another topic discussed in depth at the meeting.  Or it may mean the supplier needs to present a plan on how their company plans to be more fuel efficient or how tires or other items are recycled.  Sustainability is not just the use of alternative fuels it can be way more involved than that.  Past performance will be documented and evaluated to make sure the supplier can provide the service standards required in the solicitation.

Another item that will have a bearing on a successful offer will be the capabilities and the financial strength of the business.  The USPS wants suppliers that have organizations that promote good business practices, are able to evolve and make changes and can survive financial challenges as needed during an ever changing business environment.

These are great strides being made in the industry, but like all other evolutions there can be some pitfalls. Eval- uations if not completely quantified can be very subjec- tive. One need not go far to find great examples of the difference between subjective and objective.  In sports a good example of objective would be a football game where the winner is the team with the highest score, while a figure skating event is subjective to the judges scores.  I would contend the new bidding process is more like the figure skating event, and could lead to some unintended consequences down the road.

Working in this new environment will certainly have its own set of challenges.  Learning how to make a very objective proposal will be key to your future success.  This will mean a supplier will need to track more data, know how to present that data and run the business very professionally.  Understanding of the operational requirements of a proposal; knowing what is most important to the contracting officer for a specific proposal.  What things have the most value in a proposal; does sustain- ability have more value than lowest price for example.  Will you be able to show the contracting officer that over the term of a contract that a higher initial price has a lower overall cost similar to the tire example above?  These are the challenges facing all of us.

I am very encouraged by the direction the industry is heading.  It will not be without its challenges, but we are on a new and exciting path.  Working cooperatively is moving the industry forward.  Thank you to all who attended a very successful Western/Central regional meeting.