You have to maintain your equipment to stay compliant during the DOT audit. Make sure you have records of any previous equipment inspections. Your drivers can also report problems they notice with their equipment, as well.
A DOT audit will be done by an official auditor either at your business or online by submitting the appropriate documents to the FMCSA. Once you submit the paperwork, your auditor will go over the audit with you and explain ways to improve your company’s safety management.
Depending on how well you’ve prepared your paperwork, an in-person DOT audit can take anywhere from an hour and a half to four hours.
Whether you’re expecting your new entrant safety audit or any other DOT audit, you want to have all the paperwork in place before they come to inspect. You’ll want paperwork that outlines how your company adequately follows all safety regulations set by the FMCSA.
One of the best ways to prepare for your audit is to purchase our DIY nine-folder system that helps you compile all the paperwork that answers the questions above to prove to the FMCSA you are adequately following all the required regulations.
Once you finish the audit, you can receive one of three ratings:
Satisfactory
You successfully passed your new entrant safety audit. The FMCSA didn’t find any violations that result in an automatic failure. While you passed the audit, you will still be expected to follow all safety protocols you have in place and the FMCSA will continue to monitor your company.
Conditional
Your trucking company passed, but there were a few errors that brought your score down. While you can still keep running, there may be a few roadblocks your company may face. You may experience higher insurance premiums or lower load rates because brokers won’t want to trust you with their business.
If you do get a conditional safety rating, you may want to follow through with a corrective action plan to raise your conditional rating to satisfactory.
Unsatisfactory
You’ve failed the audit. You’ll need to complete the required documentation of a corrective action plan (CAP). The FMCSA wants to see what you plan to do to make sure the safety violations are resolved and won’t happen again. We can help you build one that meets FMCSA’s requirements. Give us a call and we’ll help you get started.
Read More: DOT New Entrant Safety Audit: Top Eight Reasons Companies Fail
Anyone who is considered a new entrant (who has operated their trucking company for less than 12 months) will expect a DOT audit. Your company may also be audited if your have a low CSA score or the FMCSA notices violations of safety protocols during inspections or investigations.
If you want to learn more about what’s required to keep your trucking company compliant, give the coaches at Motor Carrier HQ a call. We’re always ready to help walk you through all the regulations you have to follow to be compliant with the FMCSA.
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