Tips to find Free Compliance Materials

Trucker drives while wearing hi-vis vest

WHERE CAN I GET LOW-COST OR FREE DOT COMPLIANCE MATERIALS?

Motor carriers can take advantage of the FREE resources available at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Safety Planner website.. This website provides excellent downloadable resources to meet regulatory compliance requirements and customizable tools most relevant to you. One section that can be invaluable help to motor carriers is the Forms Library. Here, motor carriers can find all of the required forms needed to meet DOT-required compliance documents. Below is an overview of some of the free resources.

ACCIDENT REGISTER

Maintaining an accident register is required; the register serves as a great tool to identify loss trends. A basic accident register is available on the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Planner website. On the portal, Great West insureds can also download a free Accident Register that tracks even more data.

CARRIER COMPLIANCE QUESTIONNAIRE

Use this form to conduct an internal mock audit of your company’s compliance efforts. The Carrier Compliance Questionnaire is not all-inclusive, but it can help you identify areas to improve.

CERTIFICATE OF DRIVER’S ROAD TEST

Road testing all drivers, including applicants and tenured drivers, is one risk management technique used by motor carriers. An examiner will sign this form verifying the driver successfully completed a road test. One example of a comprehensive road test evaluation form is Great West’s Road Test Evaluation form, which insureds can download on the portal (https://www.gwccnet.com).

DRIVER EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION

Motor carriers can use their own employment applications, but this generic form is available as an alternate option. A signed and completed application is required per 49 CFR Part 291.21.

DRIVER QUALIFICATION FILE CHECKLIST

Use this checklist to ensure your driver qualification (DQ) files are current and complete. This checklist also includes the retention period requirements for the required records.

Call to Action

  • Road test all drivers.
  • Use the Carrier Compliance Questionnaire form to conduct a mock DOT compliance audit.
  • Download the Driver Qualification File Checklist form and audit all DQ files for completion.

The information in this article is provided as a courtesy of Great West Casualty Company and is part of the Value-Driven® Company program. Value-Driven Company was created to help educate and inform insureds so they can make better decisions, build a culture that values safety, and manage risk more effectively. To see what additional resources Great West Casualty Company can provide for its insureds, please contact your safety representative, or click below to find an agent. 

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© Great West Casualty Company 2023. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2018. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”

This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.