Help!! Company needs safety rating upgrade 385.17 after given "UNSATISFACTORY" rating

A couple years ago, in a court case. DOT can no longer mandate the EOBR, only recommend them, because of the driver harrassment question, that is still being hammered out.

 

Seems that your main problem is log violation, you run a difficult lane! California, Oregon and Washington. The Weigh Stations in Banning and chowchilla California will do it! If you go with that EOBR's, say good bye to your profits! You have to train your drivers how to work those logs and be safe! I just have a problem with a Federal Dept. that puts American small business out of service! I was stopped yesterday by DOT and he found noting, told me about a 14 hour violation that i dont understand in intrastate for containers? If you are running illegal, fix all the mechanical problems, have to be safe on the road and protect other drivers and drive safe! There are thousands of small trucking companies that play the paper log and are safe, now for mechanical issues, that's no excuse, i take my tractor to the Rush Peterbuilt dealer becuse that in tampa is very economical and the mech's are professional even though i have a Freighliner. If i go to freightliner, i might end broke! so fix the the mechanical issues and train your drivers how to use those paper logs!

 

you did read this manual?

It simply tells you EXACTLY what they want to see.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/eta/index.htm


You should have had so many copies of that laying around and tabbed out it would make them sick.

 

Maybe Im missing something here--did you get an unsatisfactory or a conditional--unless things have changed in the last few years--an unsatisfactory means your done--right now--if they allow you to continue ops it is under a conditional--so please clear this up...
Assuming(dont like to)you are allowed to operate--depnding on where the violations are--ie logs--driver--equiptment--all whatever--The DOT wants to see you make instant strides in fixin this.....
Have a mtg--today with all drivers--bring in a SAFETY COMPLIANCE expert--to talk about proper logging etc--hold mtgs weekly if necessary--what they want to see is YOU making very serious policy changes etc and that you are being very proactive in an effort to do things properly...
Same with equipment--and thats gonna really cost you---
I think you get the point.....
Good Luck

 

So in the approx 6 weeks since the rating what have you actually done to correct it?

 

Safety Director here:

Skim: I am sorry to hear that you received an unsatisfactory DOT review in your last on-site DOT audit. I have been thru one on-site focused DOT audit with a motor carrier and passed even thou prior to my arrival the carrier was like you. I turned that place upside down and cleaned out the crap and when DOT walked in, I was ready for them and after two-days passed with flying colors. I left there in November 2012 to work for a one of the former drivers (started up his dad's old company (was under a conditional operating authority). In Feb of this year after submitting a cause of action plan to FMCSA regional division office, we were upgraded to satisfactory based on action plan and then acting on it.

Unsatisfactory ratings (shut-down orders) have top priority over conditional rating upgrades. Hazardous material unsatisfactory rating have priority over non-hazardous material unsatisfactory rating carriers. (Hope that makes sense). Depending on your level of interaction with FMCSA (state and regional offices) will greatly effect the speed of your application for upgrade. More involvement (ask questions, talk to them as they are there to help you)...will increase the speed of the application as they know your honestly trying to improve a bad situation and be compliant.

Hell I wish I wasn't in Wisconsin as I would come over and help you (on spring break from college this week too)...Work full-time (safety director), part-time college student getting a degree in Supervisory Management too.

I have over 20+ years of trucking experience, a years of FMCSA experience in FMCSRs and have numerous contacts that I talk to all the time to help me or point me in the direction if I need something.

Since I am kind of new to this site yet...I am not sure how we can directly talk to one another but if someone will enlighten me on that...I will try to help you from the frozen tundra of northern Wisconsin.

 

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Any carrier that would say goodbye to profits if EOBR's were installed is running so illegally without them they deserve an unsatisfactory rating . In most cases less than 10% of drivers are intentionally violating HOS and causing problems for the company and other drivers .