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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.