How Do You Know What It Is You Don't Know?

While I AM NOT advocating joining any organzation or suggesting one thing or another--but for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY--and to answer you post OOIDA does have some pretty good info out there--and people you can contact to get some solid information---ooida.com

 

http://www.nastc.com/

Being as you will be "A Small Trucking Company" join these guys and get the fuel discounts that the big fleets get.

Of course they can do your authority also.

 

No, you misunderstood. The drug consorteum is what you set up to pay for fuel and the truck payment.

 

I feel your pain.

My suggestion is to keep reading. More and more will fall into place and as you ask questions you will learn (sometimes with pleanty of jabs included) what you need to know and find a new question.

As far as independent O/O, you are wearing two hats as far as DOT is concerned. On one side you are a carrier and need to follow all the rules. This includes getting a complete background on any drivers you have.

And since that is you. You need to have a complete driver file on hand for yourself. Seemed silly to me but the DOT officer that did my audit explained that if I am in an accident and in the hospital, when they are doing an investigation they will need to see that I am qualified to drive.

On drug consortium and testing. You need to perform a pre-employment test and show passing results BEFORE YOU DRIVE for your company. And you need to enroll in a random testing program.

First, if you get the right consortium they will get all the documentation on past companies for you as part of the pre-employment testing.

Second, look for a large program. It is highly unlikely that if you have a larger consortium that it will be shut-down by the DOT. Believe it or not, you have O/O that use drugs. I know, I was shocked. And these guys shop for smaller programs that test quarterly. This gives them three months to get clean for a "random". But they get in accident and fail the drug test. DOT looks into consortium and sees higher than average "pass" then "fail" and requires 100% testing with 48-hours notice. But it never happens because that bankrupts the consortium.

 

good thing I know it all

 

Cool! What's this weekends winning lottery numbers? I need some cash.

 

We went through the same thing. It gets easier. There's a thread in here somewhere of when we went through it. I was so stressed but now I can look back and laugh.

Someone mentioned them and I agree OOIDA. I love them guys. You can call and ask anything and they get you the info you need. They are super helpful plus if you're a member they do your BOC-3 filing free.

 

Doesn't work exactly like that. When the consortium contacts you. You are required to test as soon as they notify you if they are contacting you directly. Now if you have a secondary contact ( I.E. wife or safety manager ) that person has a window of time to notify you and once notified you must test. The large carriers work it this way on randoms. They always tell you when in the terminal rather than on the road, it just makes everyone's life easier that way.