The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented the Performance and Registration Information System Management (PRISM) to reduce the number of crashes, fatalities, and injuries caused by or involving commercial drivers. The primary goal of PRISM is to empower state law enforcement agencies to identify motor carriers with significant safety violations on their driving record. Upon doing so, local law enforcement officials can encourage commercial drivers to take accountability for their actions through sanctions and registration.
Month: August 2019
What are some endorsements you can add to a CDL?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which implements safety programs and monitors commercial drivers, requires anyone who desires to drive a commercial vehicle for a living to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL). To pass the CDL exam, a driver must schedule an exam in his or her own state and demonstrate a wide range of both skills and knowledge. You can also add endorsements to your CDL. We’ll explain what those are.
What is DataQs?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) offers a program known as DataQs that allows motor carriers to challenge certain information. The FMCSA maintains a database called the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) that contains records of crashes reported to the Department of Transportation (DOT), investigative reports that accompany the crashes, and roadside inspection results.
What you need to know about the FMCSA Vetting Process
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires companies that meet certain criteria to apply for operating authority, also known as an MC number. This is in addition to the Department of Transportation (DOT) number that all companies and drivers need. Your company requires an MC number if it transports passengers for interstate commerce for money or another type of compensation, whether the payment is direct or not. This also applies to companies that deliver commodities regulated by the federal government and owned by others.
Read moreWhat you need to know about the FMCSA Vetting Process
Hours of Service change proposed by FMCSA
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) recently proposed an hours of service change that would allow commercial drivers subject to the authority of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to pause the clock that currently limits them to 14 on-duty hours in a single day. The pause would allow drivers up to stop the clock for up to three consecutive hours and officially go off-duty.
Brake Safety Inspection Week Blitz is September 15 to 21
Every year since 1998, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has sponsored Brake Safety Inspection week in September. This year’s event, which takes place between Sunday, September 15 and Saturday, September 21, will feature random roadside inspections on commercial vehicles located throughout North America. The CVSA works in close association with law enforcement officials to conduct approximately 30,000 surprise inspections each year during Brake Safety Inspection Week.
Read moreBrake Safety Inspection Week Blitz is September 15 to 21
How to set up an FMCSA portal account
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) manages a portal system that allows industry users as well as federal and state employees to access the system with a single user ID and password. The FMCSA portal account contains important safety data for individual drivers and commercial trucking companies that fall under the authority of the FMCSA. Cargo tank facilities, brokers, motor carriers, freight forwarders, and providers of intermodal equipment can all obtain secure access to any information that the FMCSA has on file for them.
Should the address and company name be the same on MC and DOT?
A common question of commercial truckers and owner-operators is whether their demographic data (address, business name, etc.) must match between various records kept by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Transportation (DOT). Does the DOT information have to match the MC Operating Authority information? The answer to this question is yes. Both federal agencies require uniformity in recordkeeping.
If you need to change the mailing address, principal address, or company name on one form, don’t forget to make the same changes on the other. This is really important, though it might seem like just details. Below is a description of each of the forms that you must ensure always has updated contact information.
Read moreShould the address and company name be the same on MC and DOT?
How do I request a trucking medical exemption or waiver?
As part of its commitment to keep America’s roadways safe, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all drivers to submit to regular physical exams. Those with a known condition such as diabetes or vision problems that could impact safety must carry a medical card from the Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT operates an exemption program for drivers who typically drive interstate, which means they travel outside of their state of origin and potentially out of the country.
Read moreHow do I request a trucking medical exemption or waiver?
How to find a certified medical examiner for trucking
The Department of Transportation (DOT), a division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requires all job applicants to complete and pass a medical examination before an employer can formally offer them a job. All drivers must schedule a new exam with a medical examiner every 24 months as a condition of their ongoing employment. The doctor completing the exam can issue the medical certificate for less than 24 months if he or she feels it necessary to monitor a specific health condition.
Read moreHow to find a certified medical examiner for trucking