Why is it good to be prepared for bad weather? Because without good preparation, there can be traffic accidents, flat tires, slipping and that would reduce income.Most accidents...
DOT INSPECTION - HOW TO BE PREPARED?
DOT Inspections are a part of truck driver’s everyday life on the road. You will hear frequently that a driver was pulled over for an inspection by a state trooper either on a weigh station, Port of Entry, or on the side of the road.
In reality, DOT Inspections mean that an officer has the right to check on the driver’s documentation, hours of service, vehicle and equipment condition, and cargo.
Some statistics from CVSA’s Roadside inspection from 2017 show that during a 72-hour inspection, 19.4% of commercial and 4.7% non-commercial drivers were put out of service. That is nowhere near a good statistic. That is why you, as a driver, should prepare accordingly.
For this blog, we are going to talk about everything you need to know to pass your inspection with flying colors. So, let’s get started.
The question always arises: why did you get pulled over? There are three possibilities:
And the three possible outcomes are:
The most common violations among drivers are:
The most common vehicle violations are:
There are 7- levels of inspections, as follows:
This level usually involves vehicles such as school buses, shared-ride transportation, intrastate/intra-provincial operations, hotel courtesy shuttles, and others.
Now that you know all the levels of inspections, we are going to focus on the level I inspection. Level I is the most difficult inspection to get through. So, for your ease of mind and maximum preparation, it is best to talk about this level of inspection. Another great thing about the level I inspection is that you will get a CVSA decal on your truck displaying that you have passed a level I DOT inspection and exclude you from receiving another level I inspection in the next 90 days.
Inspection required documents:
If the inspector is thorough, he or she will ask for everything above. Make sure to get all these documents organized so that the inspector does not have a hard time. Usually, you will pass an inspection much easier if everything is organized even if you have an issue that might result in a violation.
Everything an inspector will inspect on your CMV:
Some of these points are easy to overlook if you do not know what you are looking for and can cause a simple inspection to turn ugly. You can check out a detailed list of everything you need to inspect at the North American Standard Roadside Inspection Vehicle Cheat Sheet.
On this cheat sheet, you can see some very specific things you need to check out, as well as some things you never would think about.
Ok, the DOT inspection is over, what do you do now?
OSS (Out of service) items: What items are the most common cause of an OOS?
Tips to prevent violations:
Tips you as a person can apply:
It can not hurt to look clean and organized! Clean your truck from the inside and outside. First impressions go a long way. For example, the inspector might be motivated to inspect more thoroughly if he finds trash and unpleasant smells in your truck. When expecting company, clean up like you would when a neighbor is coming to your home!
Oh, and it can not hurt to be polite! We know you are dreading having to watch the inspector ask you and look for every little detail on your truck. But being calm and friendly can go a long way in you passing the inspection.
Thank you for reading our guide!
Have you learned everything you needed out of this guide?
Do you have any questions?
Let us know!
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