New Entrant Safety Audit

My wife is not listed on any paper either, but she is the one that set up our files and knows where everything is so she was at the audit to help me out. Make sure you take everything with you that was asked for and if you have everything in order, you should breeze through the audit and pass with flying colors.

 

make sure that you have your maintenance records for all equipment and have the VIN on the records,yes anyone that deals with your paperwork should be there, need copies of all permits,tolls,,BLs etc.

 

Have a complete file on every driver,

yourself included.

 

The new entrant audit is a breeze. They are not there to screw you but to help you. It's what is called a non recourse inspection. Anything that's wrong you do have to get it fixed but your not written up for it and does not show up on your record. Yes, bring your partner. They are there to help you out and get you on the right path if needed.

 

I failed mine because I didn't have a D.O.T. inspection before 25000mi. Didn't know that MD requires 1 every 25000mi or 1 year which ever comes first. Got 1 the next day and sent in a so called maintenance plan with in 10 days and received a all clear letter. Yeah have anyone who helps you be there so they can ask questions, so you all have a clear understanding. And you have to have a driver employment record/application even if you're the only driver of your truck. As far as I know they come to your place of business to do the audit which in my case was my house, which is my office. No big deal. If something is missing or wrong, they give you enough time to fix or adjust it.

 

I sort of failed mine also. I had to give myself a test drive and rate myself. If I was home I would post my test results that I sent back to the officer. I went on and on and on how I was Gods gift to trucking and how good looking I was and all sorts of other crap.

 

LOL you kidding right? You know them guys don't have a sense of humor. That's funny.

 

That 1 every 25K makes me laugh. Had one a day (selfie) one a month (company) and random ones on the highway and yearly. Everyone found something wrong even when the truck and trailer were new off the lot. I was pulled over on the side of I 81 by a Virginia Trooper who accused me of stealing the truck and a Tibrook dump trailer that had never had a load on it. When he couldn't find anything wrong with my paperwork, he called 2 more troopers and had a dog go through my truck for drugs. I did remember eating french fries with pepper and spilling pepper in my cab and sleeper. He wrote me up for having a temporay tag on the trailer covered in plastic that Tibrook had put on it. Meanwhile, in the 2 hours we sat on the side of the road, 2500 trucks that wouldn't pass inspection passed by so who got the last laugh. Tied up 3 cops and a dog for a $25.00 ticket which the company I was leased to paid.

 

No, not kidding. He said it was ridiculous also for a one truck one driver company to require this. The guy was really nice. He did a full inspection of my truck and paperwork which took maybe an hour and a half. He said he was there for 4 hours and I could ask anything I wanted. I didn't really know what ask and he went over some interesting topics.

Drinking in the truck while off duty and on private property like a truck stop.
What your rights are when in sleeper or off duty. This came in handy twice already.