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DOT CONFERENCES
DOT COMPLIANCE HELP, INC. DOT CONFERENCE TOPICS
This DOT compliance seminar is designed for management and supervisors of new DOT entrants, human resource professionals with safety responsibilities, or even experienced Safety and Operations professionals that just want to stay current with the changing landscape. All attendees will receive a Certificate of Completion to keep on file. Topics addressed in this workshop include, but are not limited to:
- Compliance Safety Accountability or CSA
- Seven (7) BASICs within the Safety Measurement System (SMS)
- FMCSA, DOT, PHMSA, and State agencies and how they interact
- Hours of Service rules, monitoring and auditing procedures
- Driver Qualification process and files
- DOT rules for drug and alcohol testing and all paperwork that is required
- Maintenance procedures and required documentation
- Accident register and other documentation, as well as accident countermeasures
- Required training for all employees
This was full of great information, a little fast but great.
As a DOT newbie, the breadth of topics covered was great. The topics that helped me most personally were DOT Drug & Alcohol testing and policies, driver qualification, and maintenance management. Very satisfied.
All content was beneficial, but I really appreciated these topics that were covered: hours of service, MCS-150 updates, and SMS scores. I'm looking forward to further consulting from DOT Compliance Help, and potentially a Mock Audit. Thanks Mike!
It was great to have you in class, Matt! We'll reach out to set up a Mock Audit.
Highly recommend this company for any DOT needs. Addressed my issues in a timely manner and went above and beyond my expectations. I will use this company again for future endeavors regarding my trucking business and give a 5star rating!!! Thank you, Jordan
Good content! Enjoyed the webinar and forwarded the information along to other companies such as Halliburton, TNT Crane, and Schlumberger, they all responded positively. Thank you again for the valuable information.
DOT Compliance Seminar Training
| DOT Seminar Chicago IL | January 28-31, 2025 | REGISTER |
| DOT Seminar Las Vegas, NV | February 25-28, 2025 | REGISTER |
| DOT Seminar Houston TX | March 25-28, 2025 | REGISTER |
| DOT Seminar Chicago IL | April 22-25, 2025 | REGISTER |
| DOT Seminar Dallas TX | May 14-15, 2025 | REGISTER |
| Can't Make In Person? | At-Home Study Option | PURCHASE |
Introduction to DOT Compliance
The first portion is an overview of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and what you need to know to maintain compliance. We have condensed the most important performance measures you must make part of your company’s
safety systems in order to be minimally compliant with the DOT regs. We will use a littleknown tool – the MCS-150A – to illustrate your regulatory obligations. You will also be trained on the MCS-90, and what you need to do to safeguard your company’s safety record. We will provide answers to the following questions and more:
- What is CSA and how does it affect you?
- What is a BASIC?
- Who needs to register with the FMCSA?
- What does the DOT (and everyone with internet access) know about this company?
- What do you need to do with and what can you do about this data?
- Are you required to have Motor Carrier (MC) Authority?
- What are the MOST IMPORTANT things you need to understand about Driver Fitness, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Fatigued Driving, and Vehicle Maintenance?
We break down safety controls into the separate BASICs so you can focus the necessary attention and resources on each area.
Understanding Violations and Minimizing Fines
There are thousands of things you are SUPPOSED to do. But there are certain things that YOU REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON because they are critical and acute violations. Some of these can result in an Out of Service Order, putting you out of business indefinitely. There are also ’16 Deadly Sins’ that can cause you to immediately fail an audit. We will cover these AND the new hot-button topics the FMCSA has introduced with CSA. We will include tips and tricks to help minimize fines from prior violations, and steps to take moving forward that will help you avoid them altogether.
Load Securement
(Note: these violations are now calculated in SMS in the Maintenance BASIC)? Load securement is primarily addressed in FMCSR §393.100-200 – but there are relevant requirements that appear in other areas. We help you understand the basic load securement requirements so that you can apply that knowledge to your specific operation.
Supervisor Drug & Alcohol Training
The main topics addressed in this DOT-mandated training (required per FMCSR §382.603) are random and reasonable suspicion drug testing, post-accident testing, and the evils of illegal drug use, unlawful use of prescription medicine and excessive alcohol use.?In addition to covering those topics, we also answer the most common questions andconcerns about the Drug & Alcohol BASIC, like:
- Who gets tested?
- What should they be tested for?
- What is the allowable Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)?
- How do you recognize a driver who is impaired and what should you do?
- What are the rules for conducting a reasonable suspicion test?
- How should you handle a driver who self-reports?
- What should you do when one driver reports another?
- Can you afford to not know the answer to these questions?
Knowledge gained from this session will assist you in developing and maintaining your company’s drug and alcohol testing program, which is required for all companies with trucks greater than 26,000 GVWR (and certain HazMat, construction, maintenance, or repair vehicles). In addition to the required elements of the mandated Supervisor Drug & Alcohol training, we will address many lessons learned from safety managers, enforcement staff, and Drug & Alcohol treatment professionals.
Roadside Inspection Survival
What is your first line of defense in DOT safety? Passing roadside inspections without violation is the first step toward keeping your safety scores low, and minimizing fines and interactions with the DOT.?This course covers the most-violated BASICs and regulations that are encountered during a roadside inspection. We always tell you that there are 16 ‘unpardonable sins’, but some of those sins can go unnoticed so long as you pass your roadside inspections without violations. The violations you can get from an inspection versus an ‘intervention’ or audit can be very different. Beef up your first line of defense by putting measures in place to correct violations that could be noticed during a roadside inspection, and you can help avoid an intervention down the road.
Driver Fitness BASIC/ Driver Qualification
The number 1 rule in Driver Fitness is to actually make sure the driver is QUALIFIED tooperate a CMV. Then, do the paperwork (a DOT-compliant Driver Qualification file) to PROVE that they are qualified. The real purpose is to develop a DQ process to avoid hiring bad drivers who don’t follow the rules.?We cover the two main requirements that define a driver qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle and how to ensure they are both managed. We also define and describe the steps you are required to take to ensure all drivers are fit and qualified, with industry standard practices, and the new rules governing this process.?Instruction covers the driver application, all required information and documentation, all information that must be verified, optional and recommended steps, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Fatigued Driving/ Hours of Service BASIC
The number 1 rule for Hours of Service is to ensure your drivers are not fatigued. Be sure you oversee your scheduling function; you must not give a driver more work to do than can be legally done in a day. Sometimes the persons making scheduling/dispatching decisions are not sufficiently familiar with the 4 cardinal rules of HOS compliance, which are as follows: The 11-hour rule; the 14-hour rule; the 60/70 – hour rule, and the document retention rule.
These are explained fully, along with examples, discussion, exemptions, sample forms, and much more.
1.?We will share with you a tried and proven way to manage driver logs and decrease violations in what can be the most frustrating BASIC.
2. We will teach you how to organize, audit, and perform QC checks on logs, as well as counsel and educate your drivers.
3. We will define a compliant driver log, show examples of log violations, and explain some tips and tricks for identifying violations when auditing.
4. We will discuss individual concerns and issues with attendees.
Also included is up-to-date ELD and AOBR information. The electronic logging device and automatic on board recorder rules and regulations are sending shockwaves through the transportation community. This training makes it clear who is required to have ELDs and who can take advantage of the exemption to not use them; our recommendations and the bare minimum usage required.
Unsafe Driving Management
Using the tools available to you to monitor this BASIC is a must. Learn what these tools are and how to use them to properly react to instances of Unsafe Driving which are warning signs of an accident waiting to happen. Learn to utilize your data into an action plan so that you can hire, train, re-train or let go of drivers properly. This key BASIC is also used by insurance companies to gauge a level of safety within a company. This course is designed to help you recognize bad behaviors and change them before it turns into something worse.
Maintenance Management Workshop
Roadside inspections dictate your score in SMS for this particular BASIC, but you also have to have other documents to prove you have a compliant maintenance program. We discuss the necessary documentation to ensure a SATISFACTORY safety rating in this area, what some common mistakes are and some of the best, proven strategies to have a pro-active maintenance program. We clarify the regulations for you and teach you a maintenance documentation process that is efficient, effective and compliant. Vehicle Maintenance is always going to be time-consuming, but we show you step-by-step descriptions of exactly what is required. Most importantly, we set aside time to discuss your specific concerns, questions and
unique situations (we keep class sizes small to facilitate this). When this session is done, you will be better able to prioritize time spent in this important area of DOT Compliance.
Accident Prevention/ Crash Indicator BASIC
We will discuss the FMCSR requirements as well as industry best-practices regarding what to do after a DOT-recordable crash or near-miss. We will discuss the accident investigation process and the accident countermeasures program. For each crash that shows up or that you believe might show up in SMS, you need to first determine whether it is a DOT-recordable. If so, you need to determine if it is preventable. If it IS recordable, and it IS preventable (most crashes are) you must conduct some level of root cause analysis. After you have done this you can begin to determine what to do to keep it from happening again
Policies and Plans
One of your best defenses AND offenses is to have great plans and policies. The DOT requires certain policies, and encourages the use of some others as well. This course covers which are required, which are encouraged, how to write your own policy and why that is a best practice, and more importantly, how to train using your policies and how to enforce them when issues arise. Some key points covered are: Hiring & Retention Criteria, Policy and Procedure Writing, Distracted Driving\ Cell Phone Policies, Safety Management Plans & Procedures, Security Plans
Critical & Acute Violations
Clients call all the time, wondering what the worst violations are. The answer is this entire discussion. Find out what the worst violations are and how to avoid them – what they mean, and how to build an action-plan around keeping your company out of the danger zone. Includes: Discussion of the Critical and Acute Violations, Last Minute Audit Prep, What You Can Still Fix, Who knows what, Set up a quiet place, What to say and what NOT to say
Train the Trainer
This discussion is arguably one of the most important – how do you get your information across to your supervisors? Your drivers? Your management? Should these methods differ? How can you make in-house training both compliant AND relevant? Topics include: Mandatory Entry Level Driver Training (Hours of Service, Driver Qualification, Whistleblower Protection, Load Securement, Wellness, Roadside Inspection Survival, CSA for Drivers, Driver Drug & Alcohol Training, North American Fatigue Management Program
Enhancing Public Safety
In addition to being a business, all DOT-regulated companies have an expectation to be on the forefront of enhancing public safety. This discussion covers Anti-Terrorism, AntiHijacking, The New Global Harmonization System, Training Drivers to be aware of their surroundings
Q&A
Nothing is off limits- ask any lingering questions and tie up loose ends at the end of this in-depth, comprehensive training seminar. Questions are encouraged throughout the seminar, but sometimes you will have so many in a row, they pile up. This session lasts as long as you need it to last.
Meet Your Presenter:
Mike England has spent more than twenty-five years in the transportation industry, first in a management role with a small transportation company, then progressing through numerous safety and general management roles with both large and small DOT-regulated entities including trucking companies and private fleets.
He is a graduate of the US Army Safety Management School in Ft. Rucker, Alabama as well as the US Department of Transportation’s FMCSA Safety Auditor Course. He spent 2005 and 2006 performing audits for the US Department of Transportation and decided in 2007 to form the private consulting firm DOT Compliance Help, Inc.
In addition to developing and presenting DCH’s DOT compliance seminars and conferences, Mike and his firm also provide compliance assessments and conduct custom onsite training sessions for clients across the country. With an office and staff located outside of Chicago, DCH’s mission is to help carriers prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities. The ultimate goals are safer roadways for the public and increased profits for their clients.
His memberships include the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the North American Transportation Management Institute, and the Illinois Trucking Association.
Supervisor Drug & Alcohol Training
The main topics addressed in this DOT-mandated training (required per FMCSR §382.603) are drug use, unlawful use of prescription medicine and excessive alcohol use. In addition to covering those topics, we also answer the most common questions and concerns about the Drug & Alcohol BASIC, like:- Who gets tested?
- What should they be tested for?
- What is the allowable Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)?
- How do you recognize a driver who is impaired and what should you do? What are the rules for conducting a reasonable suspicion test?
- How should you handle a driver who self-reports? What should you do when one driver reports another?
- Can you afford to not know the answer to these questions?
Introduction to DOT Compliance
The first portion is an overview of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and what you need to know to maintain compliance. We have condensed the most important performance measures you must make part of your company’s safety systems in order to be minimally compliant with the DOT regs. We will use a little-known tool – the MCS-150A – to illustrate your regulatory obligations. You will also be trained on the MCS-90, and what you need to do to safeguard your company’s safety record. We will provide answers to the following questions and more:- What is CSA and how does it affect you?
- What is a BASIC?
- Who needs to register with the FMCSA?
- What does the DOT (and everyone with internet access) know about this company?
- What do you need to do with and what can you do about this data?
- Are you required to have Motor Carrier (MC) Authority?
- What are the MOST IMPORTANT things you need to understand about Driver Fitness, Drug and Alcohol Testing, Fatigued Driving, and Vehicle Maintenance?