DOT Audits & Logbooks

Wouldn't it be best to only keep 6 months? Curious why keep more evidence than needed?

 

Statute of Limitations .... Leon the LionHeart should be cool.

 

They choose a few drivers during a timeframe of the dot's choosing within the last 6 months. They ask for supporting documents like trip sheets, IFTA reports, fuel and toll reciepts etc. They can also ask for credit card statements and reciepts. If you scaled, washed out etc etc and the company paid for it there will be a time recorded somewhere.

On my audit, I had one driver that logged that he was in Watertown, NY. DOT auditor says "that's a false log because he is in our database as being inspected in Ontario at that time ".

 

Like Rank said. All documents the company has will be used. I had 2 state audits and a federal audit.
First one was a state audit cost me a couple grand the other two, Because I learned, no fines.
Log books have to be kept for 6 months. I keep mine for 7 years, tax records.
When they audit , they compare all your receipts, date and time, Tolls, fuel, weigh station, scale receipts, prepass/toll passes. Everything is used to trace every drivers path.
They check for driver files, drug/alcohol program, Fuel records, mileage records, Just everything.

 

One other thing. It's a good idea to keep a copy of all your inspection reports from DOT inspections. After my audit was finished, the auditor said I passed the paperwork and logbook portion of the audit (just a couple of minor things in addition to the false log entry mentioned above). However, he still failed me and was going to place my authority in "conditional" status because every inspection the company had there was a violation. In other words, my failure record from inspections was 100%. I said this is not true. I had something like 30 inspections in a 12 month period and my violation rate was only ~10%. It turns out the Ontario DOT was only entering the failed inspections into their database. Good thing I had all the copies.

This is why it's a good idea to pay your drivers for clean inspections.....you can be sure he'll turn in the report.

 

Yes it is... we get $200 apiece for a clean 1,2, or ,3 inspection.

I welcome them !!

Helps everyone.