The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck is here once again, and carriers across North America need to prepare for this annual three-day inspection blitz. With thousands of roadside inspections scheduled for May 13-15, motor carriers and drivers should understand what to expect in order to avoid costly violations and out-of-service orders.
What is Roadcheck?Roadcheck is an intensive three-day enforcement initiative where as many officers as possible conduct roadside...
Trucking can be a risky business. A carrier’s profitability depends largely on the state of the wider economic market, which can be impacted by everything from natural disasters to legislation changes. There are steps trucking companies can take to safeguard their operations despite outside unpredictability, however.
For example, carriers can create a regular practice of reviewing their drivers’ driver motor vehicle records (MVR) in order to flag any issues early and sidestep potential pitfalls...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ongoing-mvr-monitoring-could-help-carriers-avoid-big-risks
Trucking companies need to have their basic credentials – including operating authorities, tax documents, titles and registrations – squared away in order to keep their trucks in compliance and generate revenue.
While maintaining these credentials may seem simple, the complex nature of the logistics industry can undermine a carrier’s efforts to stay above board. With so many programs, sporadic regulatory changes, numerous agencies involved and deadlines for filing spread throughout the year,...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/key-credentials-to-keep-your-vehicles-on-the-road
For carriers, being informed about driver behavior – especially violations and licensing changes – is the first step to creating a safer and more cost-effective fleet.
Unfortunately, not all carriers are as informed as they could be, often following the bare minimum requirements of going a year between motor vehicle records (MVR) reviews. This leaves significant time for costly issues to go undetected.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require motor carriers to review all of their...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-mvr-monitoring-makes-corrective-action-training-more-effective
Carriers and drivers are governed by federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations on a day-to-day basis. These rules dictate schedules and often determine whether a shipment will be delayed. Despite the regulations’ outsize impact on operations, confusion surrounding the rules continues to plague the industry.
Hours of service is consistently one of the topics carriers ask about most often, according to Richard Malchow, a transportation industry business adviser with J. J. Keller.
There are four...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/top-4-hours-of-service-areas-carriers-should-be-concerned-about
The increasing prevalence of nuclear verdicts – and the resulting insurance hikes – have prompted carriers to reevaluate their safety strategies. Carriers with best-in-class safety programs enjoy the most competitive insurance rates while simultaneously protecting driver wellbeing and making positive changes in the industry as a whole.
Best-in-class safety program benefits include, but are not limited to:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-do-you-create-a-best-in-class-safety-program
In high-turnover industries like trucking, recruiters are often laser-focused on hiring experienced employees that can hit the ground running. While it is true that veteran truck drivers can bring a wealth of knowledge with them, carriers should avoid underestimating the value of more inexperienced drivers. With the proper training and support, new-to-the-industry hires can become some of the safest – and most loyal – drivers in a fleet.
With brand new drivers, carriers have the advantage of...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-best-practices-for-hiring-inexperienced-drivers
Federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations are often an area of concern for both individual truck drivers and motor carriers. This has been especially true since the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) introduced multiple significant changes to existing rules in September 2020.
The regulation changes in 2020 shifted the landscape of the average driver’s day-to-day routines. Those changes included:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/understanding-hos-compliance-top-violations-for-carriers
Drug and alcohol violations quickly sideline drivers, creating stress for all parties involved. When drivers fail or refuse testing – or when carriers have concrete knowledge of a driver’s illegal drug or alcohol usage – they must be immediately removed from the driver’s seat. The journey back can be daunting for drivers and carriers alike.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has provided a detailed framework surrounding driver drug and alcohol violations – including return-to-work...
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck is coming up next month. It is a high-visibility, high-volume inspection and compliance enforcement initiative, and carriers should begin preparing now to avoid racking up unexpected violations.
This three-day Roadcheck — which takes place in Canada, Mexico and the United States — is scheduled for May 14-16.
“Don’t let this three-day event sneak up on you. Out-of-service inspections can dramatically impact a carrier’s safety...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-to-prepare-for-cvsa-international-roadcheck-2024