The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual International Roadcheck is taking place June 5-7, 2018. This three-day ramp up of truck and bus enforcement across North America will focus on hours-of-service compliance thanks to the implementation of the U.S. DOT’s ELD mandate.
The CVSA reported that during last year’s 72-hour event, an average of 15 trucks and buses were inspected every minute – that’s almost 63,000 inspections!*
With so much focus on hours-of-service compliance – carriers will want to make sure they are prepared to avoid both violation points impacting CSA scores and costly fines. The Transflo team is here to help make sure you are all set.
1. Know the Easily Avoidable Violations
Claiming unassigned driving time
Drivers need to make sure to claim any unassigned driving time that appears in their app, as part of the login process. While it is tempting to avoid claiming this drive time to have more hours available, failing to claim this unassigned driving time can result in a violation with a 5-point severity weight. Administrative users should also be familiar with the process of assigning unassigned driving time to drivers, to assist in preventing this easily avoided violation.
Failing to note malfunctions, requiring the use of paper logs
If the ELD warns the driver about malfunctions or diagnostic events, the driver needs to attempt to resolve these using the instructions in the “Transflo Telematics – Diagnostic and Malfunction Events” document. If the driver is unable to address these events and the malfunction persists, then the driver is required to switch to paper logs and notify the fleet in writing (i.e., via email) about the malfunction. Failing to do so can lead to a violation with a 5-point severity weight.
Have blank paper logs available
Related to the previous violation, the driver is required to keep a sufficient amount of blank paper logs in the cab, in case he or she needs to switch to paper logs in the event of a device malfunction. Keep in mind that a driver is only permitted to do this for 8 days after the malfunction; within those 8 days, the device malfunction must be resolved, otherwise the driver risks being placed out of service.
Entering required shipping information and trailer information
Drivers need to ensure that all the required shipping information is entered into the app and make sure the correct trailer information accompanies this info. This means removing trailers that are no longer in use, and removing shipping information once a load is delivered. Keeping this information up to date through the Asset section of the app is an easy way to avoid a violation.
2. Make Sure Your Driving Information is Correctly Entered
It is important to ensure that your Transflo Telematics portal contains all the required information. If this information is missing, it may result in a violation, and/or the inability to transfer the HOS data to the inspector:
- Driver’s license number and state (enter on the driver’s user profile on the Driver tab)
- DOT number (enter on the driver’s user profile on the HOS Settings tab)
- Home terminal name and address (enter on the driver’s user profile on the HOS Settings tab)
- Vehicle VIN (enter on the Vehicle page; this should be captured automatically by the Transflo T7 device)
3. Keep Your Required Documents On Hand at All Times
Drivers are also required to keep the following documentation in the cab at all times. These documents can also be found on our website, and are available in electronic format within the Transflo Mobile app (under Required Documents). To avoid a possible violation, drivers must know where to find these if an inspector asks to see them.
- Transflo Telematics – Roadside Inspection Card
- Transflo Telematics – Diagnostic and Malfunction Events
- Transflo Telematics – Manual
With these helpful tips, you and your drivers should have what you need to successfully make it through a roadside inspection. For more information, please visit the Transflo ELD Support Center for other great tools. And if you still need an ELD or want to switch providers, we can get you all set up in time too!
*Source: https://www.ccjdigital.com/roadcheck-dates-set-inspectors-to-key-in-on-hours-of-service-violations/