Tag: #commercialdrivers

CVSA Opens Nominations for 2023 International Driver Excellence Award

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CVSA

Photo: IDEA

Washington, D.C. (March 8, 2023) – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is now accepting nominations for its International Driver Excellence Award (IDEA), an annual award that recognizes an extraordinary professional commercial motor vehicle driver and their commitment to public safety.

In addition, the Alliance is pleased to announce that it has increased the monetary award amount for the IDEA winner, doubling it from the previous amount of $2,500, to $5,000 this year.

The 2023 IDEA recipient (and a guest) will also receive complimentary airfare to Grapevine, Texas, along with a two-night, one-room hotel stay at the Gaylord Texan, to attend the CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition awards luncheon where they will receive their check and crystal trophy.

Nominees must have:

  • At least 25 cumulative years of crash-free driving in a commercial motor vehicle with a clean driving record for the past three years
  • No felony convictions
  • No safety-related driving suspensions in the past three years
  • No driver violations in the past three years, excluding form and manner violations

CVSA’s simplified application enables individuals to easily fill out the nomination form and submit the required supporting documentation, all online. Access the 2023 IDEA online nomination submission form.

As the leading organization working to improve commercial motor vehicle safety and enforcement by providing guidance, education and advocacy for enforcement and industry across North America, CVSA recognizes the exceptional careers of professional commercial motor vehicle drivers and their commitment to public safety through this award program. Therefore, IDEA is open to the entire commercial motor vehicle industry. There are no stipulations that nominees must be a member of or affiliated with CVSA to apply.

“Commercial drivers are the backbone of North America’s supply chain, ensuring people and goods reach their destinations safely,” said CVSA President Maj. Chris Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “IDEA is the perfect way for a motor carrier to honor and recognize drivers for their vital work.”

Check out previous IDEA winners.

This year’s International Driver Excellence Award is sponsored by PrePass Safety Alliance. PrePass Safety Alliance is a non-profit, public-private partnership of state agencies and trucking industry leaders devoted to safe, secure and efficient use of North America’s highway system.

If you have any questions about IDEA, contact CVSA Fatigue Management Specialist Rodolfo Giacoman via email or at 202-998-1830.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Pre-employment Investigations for Drug and Alcohol Program Violations

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FMCSA Announces High Priority Grants to Increase Safety for Commercial Drivers

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by FMCSA

Photo property of FMCSA

WASHINGTON – The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced $80,714,223 in grant awards under the High Priority (HP) Grant Program. The HP Grants provide funding to strengthen commercial motor vehicle safety initiatives under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). Furthermore, the grant program invests in innovative technology, supports research, and funds other projects that positively impact Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) safety.

The HP Grant Program provides financial assistance to supplement motor carrier safety activities and projects, including those that:

  • improve the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials;
  • improve safe transportation of goods and persons in foreign commerce;
  • demonstrate new technologies to improve CMV safety;
  • technology advancements to enhance CMV operator awareness of roadway hazards and truck parking availability;
  • support participation in performance and registration information systems management;
  • conduct safety data improvement projects;
  • increase public awareness and education on CMV safety;
  • target unsafe driving of CMVs in areas identified as high-risk crash corridors, including roadway work zones;
  • otherwise improve CMV safety and compliance with CMV safety regulations.

HP grant funds are awarded to States, local governments, Federally recognized Native American tribes, political jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other eligible groups to carry out high priority activities and projects that strengthen commercial motor vehicle safety. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply.

High Priority activities also support the efforts outlined in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that makes historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. In addition, the CMV safety and research investments conducted under the HP program and funded through BIL advance the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a comprehensive approach to improve safety on our nation’s roadways.

This is one of many actions that the Administration and DOT are taking to support truck drivers – including investing in community colleges to train veterans to get CDLs, investing in improvements to CDL processing, standing up the Women of Trucking Advisory Board, studying the impacts of driver detention time, and starting the truck predatory leasing task force.

All HP applications undergo a series of reviews before award selection. See the FMCSA’s grant program page for additional information on the discretionary application announcement, review and approval process. For a full list of FY 2022 HP grant awards, click here.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Truckers under 21: Registration opens for FMCSA pilot program on interstate driving

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Photo property of FMCSA

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is accepting applications for an apprenticeship pilot program that allows commercial truck drivers younger than 21 to operate interstate.

Forty-nine states (Hawaii is the exception) and the District of Columbia allow 18- to 20-year-olds to obtain commercial driver’s licenses, but those drivers can operate only within state lines.

Established in November when President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law and announced in a notice published in the Jan. 14 Federal Register, the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program will accommodate up to 3,000 apprentices and operate for a maximum of three years. Qualified motor carriers interested in participating can apply online.

Participants in the apprenticeship program are required to complete at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time accompanied by an experienced driver. That driver may not be younger than 26, must have held a CDL for at least two years, must have driven a CMV for at least five years in interstate commerce, and must not have had any “preventable accidents” or pointed moving violations.

Additionally, an apprentice can drive only commercial motor vehicles that have an automatic or automatic manual transmission, an active braking collision mitigation system, a forward-facing video event capture system, and a governed speed of 65 mph – either at the pedal or via adaptive cruise control.

During a July 19 hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said: “The question that this pilot program speaks to, of course, is: Is there a way to engage younger drivers without any kind of detriment to safety? And I think that a pilot program has provided us with a responsible way to determine that.”

Buttigieg added that the Department of Transportation will monitor the program, “watching closely, of course, to see how it unfolds and then ultimately gather the data that’ll tell us what, if any, safety impact there is.”

In July, FMCSA hosted a webinar on the pilot program.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

International Roadcheck

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by CVSA

Today is the first day of International Roadcheck, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) three-day commercial motor vehicle and driver inspection and compliance enforcement initiative. Certified inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers over a 72-hour period. Drivers or vehicles with out-of-service violations will be prohibited from continuing their trip until the violations are resolved.

International Roadcheck started in 1988 and is a high-volume, high-visibility commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative spotlighting the hard work and commitment to safety of certified inspectors, commercial motor vehicle drivers and motor carriers. Since International Roadcheck’s start, more than 1.8 million commercial motor vehicles have been inspected.

Each year, CVSA highlights a certain aspect of the roadside inspection. This year, the  will be on wheel ends. Violations involving wheel end components historically account for about one quarter of the vehicle out-of-service violations discovered during International Roadcheck, and past International Roadcheck data routinely found wheel end components in the top 10 of vehicle violations.

“Inspectors throughout North America will be at inspection and weigh stations, at temporary pop-up inspection sites, and patrolling our roadways during the three days of International Roadcheck as well as every other day of the year,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “CVSA-certified inspectors will inspect commercial motor vehicles and their drivers to ensure large trucks and motorcoaches and the trained professionals who drive them are operating safely and are in full compliance with federal regulations.”

During International Roadcheck, inspectors will primarily conduct a , which is a thorough 37-step procedure to check the driver’s operating credentials and requirements and the vehicle’s mechanical fitness and regulatory compliance.

For the driver portion of an inspection, inspectors check the driver’s operating credentials, hours-of-service recording device/documentation and seat belt usage. Inspectors will also be on the lookout for alcohol and/or drug impairment. A driver will be placed out of service if an inspector discovers driver-related out-of-service conditions.

For the  of a Level I Inspection, inspectors will check the vehicle’s brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver’s seat, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims, hubs and windshield wipers. Inspections of motorcoaches, passenger vans and other passenger-carrying vehicles also include emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in the engine and battery compartments, and seating. Vehicles with violations that meet the out-of-service criteria will be placed out of service until the violations are corrected.

Vehicles that successfully pass a Level I or Level V Inspection without any critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a . In general, vehicles with a CVSA decal are not  during the three-month period during which the decal is valid. Instead, inspectors will focus their efforts on vehicles without a valid CVSA decal.

Instead of a Level I Inspection, inspectors may conduct a Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection, Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection or Level V Vehicle-Only Inspection. Level I and V Inspections are the only inspections that may result in a CVSA decal.

 is a CVSA program with participation by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation and the National Guard.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

International Roadcheck Is May 17-19

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by CVSA

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced this year’s International Roadcheck dates as May 17-19 with a focus on wheel ends.

International Roadcheck is 72-hour high-visibility, high-volume commercial motor vehicle inspection and enforcement initiative. Commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will conduct North American Standard Inspections of commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh and inspection stations, on roving patrols, and at temporary inspection sites.

Each year, CVSA focuses on a specific aspect of a roadside inspection. This year, the focus will be on wheel ends. Wheel end components support the heavy loads carried by commercial motor vehicles, maintain stability and control, and are critical for braking. Violations involving wheel end components historically account for about one quarter of the vehicle out-of-service violations discovered during International Roadcheck, and past International Roadcheck data routinely identified wheel end components as a top 10 vehicle violation.

During International Roadcheck, commercial motor vehicle inspectors examine large trucks and motorcoaches and the driver’s documentation and credentials using CVSA’s North American Standard Inspection Program procedures which are the uniform inspection steps, processes and standards established to ensure consistency in compliance, inspections and enforcement. Using the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, also established by CVSA, inspectors identify critical out-of-service violations that if found, require the inspector to restrict the driver or vehicle from travel until those violations or conditions are addressed.

Vehicles that successfully pass a North American Standard Level I or Level V Inspection without any critical vehicle inspection item violations may receive a CVSA decal. In general, a vehicle with a valid CVSA decal will not be re-inspected during the three months while the decal is valid. Instead, inspectors will focus their efforts on vehicles without a valid CVSA decal.

“We want every vehicle on our roadways to be in proper working order for the safety of the driver operating that vehicle and everyone traveling on our roadways,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

In consideration of COVID-19 and the health and safety of commercial motor vehicle inspectors and drivers, law enforcement personnel will conduct inspections following their departments’ health and safety protocols during International Roadcheck.

International Roadcheck is a CVSA program with participation by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

FMCSA Launches Training Provider Registry

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First published by FMCSA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched its Training Provider Registry as the final step in implementing new entry-level driver training standards for individuals seeking to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or certain endorsements.

The Training Provider Registry is an online database that aims to improve highway safety by:

  • Maintaining the list of registered training providers that have self-certified they meet Federal training requirements; and
  • Retaining a record of all individuals who have completed the required entry-level driver training.

As of February 7, 2022, entry-level drivers subject to the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations must complete the required training from a registered training provider before obtaining a CDL or specified endorsement for the first time. State Driver Licensing Agencies will now use the information in the Training Provider Registry to verify that a CDL applicant has completed the required training before administering the applicable skills or knowledge test.

Individuals subject to the ELDT regulations include those applying to:

  • Obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;
  • Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL; or
  • Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time.

Individuals that hold a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) issued before February 7, 2022 are not subject to the ELDT requirements, so long as they obtain a CDL before the CLP or renewed CLP expires. Individuals that previously held the types of licenses or endorsements listed above are not subject to EDLT regulations, even if the previously-issued license or endorsement is no longer valid.

“With an increasing number of people applying for CDLs over the past year, there has never been a more important time to implement minimum uniform training standards that ensure new drivers have both the knowledge and skills to operate safely,” said Jack Van Steenburg, Executive Director and Chief Safety Officer. “The ELDT regulations were developed with input from driver and training organizations, motor carriers, state licensing agencies, safety advocacy groups, and insurance companies. The Training Provider Registry will efficiently connect training providers, entry-level drivers, and State Driver Licensing Agencies to promote compliance with these essential safety regulations.”

The Federal ELDT regulations, which cover both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction, will ensure that entry-level drivers receive the knowledge and skills necessary to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.

Individuals seeking to obtain entry-level driver training must search for a training provider on the Training Provider Registry at https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.

All entities intending to provide entry level driver training, including companies, organizations, public agencies, and individuals, must visit the Training Provider Registry to register with FMCSA. Training providers can learn more about the requirements they must meet, including those related to instructor qualifications, training curricula, facilities, equipment, and state licensing, and begin registration at https://tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/provider.

About the Training Provider Registry
The Training Provider Registry is an FMCSA online database that will improve road safety by ensuring that all entry-level drivers receive comprehensive training from a self-certified training provider prior to obtaining a CDL, upgrade, or endorsement.

The ELDT regulations were mandated under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

New entry-level driver training requirements take effect Feb. 2022

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First published by ADOT

Photo: FMCSA

Beginning Feb. 7, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will require new CDL applicants and those seeking to upgrade their CDL to receive training from a certified organization on the national registry of Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) providers. ELDT training includes curriculum in three areas: theory, range and road. To process and issue a CDL, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division will need to validate that an applicant has completed this training.

This requirement impacts drivers attempting to:

  • Obtain a Class A or Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time.
  • Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL.
  • Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time.

The ELDT regulations are not retroactive and do not apply to individuals holding a valid CDL or an S, P or H endorsement issued prior to February 7, 2022.

To view a list of training providers, visit FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry home page, scroll down to “Do you need a training provider?” and click that link.

If your organization or business currently trains its drivers and is interested in becoming a certified training provider on the national registry, visit tpr.fmcas.dot.gov for more information and to register as a provider.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Governor Ducey, ADOT ease burden on commercial drivers

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First published by ADOT

Pictured is a semi truck driving through mountains.

On Dec. 9, 2021, Governor Doug Ducey announced a series of actions that ADOT is taking to safely ease the process for obtaining a Commercial Driver License (CDL) in an effort to alleviate stress on the transportation system and help address the nationwide supply chain crisis. These actions include:

To facilitate more commercial drivers being able to obtain credentials, through Executive Order, the Governor will extend the validity of the commercial learners’ permit (CLP) from six months to one year for those that expire between Dec. 1, 2021 and Feb. 28, 2022, in alignment with federal law. This gives a student more time to fulfill training requirements without having to reapply for a new permit. The purpose of the CLP is to allow a student to operate a commercial motor vehicle for training purposes with a licensed driver present.

The Executive Order, in alignment with the current federal waiver, will temporarily allow a commercial driver to keep their CDL past the date that the person’s medical certification is required, until Feb. 28, 2022. CDLs are regulated by the federal government. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) previously initiated a series of waivers, including one that allows a driver to keep their CDL active temporarily after the expiration of a medical certificate. Arizona will adopt this practice temporarily, until Feb. 28, 2022, to keep current CDL holders on the road and alleviate supply chain challenges. CDL holders can upload documents online, as well as verify the status of their Arizona medical certificate, at azmvdnow.gov.

Read the Executive Order HERE.

NOTE FROM MVD: Because of the Executive Order, Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) may display with a Medical Certification Status of “certified” when the driver’s medical certificate expired on or after 12/1/2021.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Clearinghouse Annual Queries

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First published by FMCSA

FMCSA homepage link
Clearinghouse Questions Answered

                                                                       Photo: FMCSA

ANNUAL QUERIES: Are you up-to-date?

Employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query in the Clearinghouse at least once per year for each CDL driver they employ (for more details on employer requirements, see 49 CFR 382.701). A limited query satisfies the annual query requirement. The annual query is tracked on a rolling 12-month basis, which means that if you conducted your last annual queries in December 2020, it is time to conduct your next round of queries.

Log in to the Clearinghouse and visit your Query History page (under My Dashboard > Queries) to see if your annual queries are due. For instructions on conducting annual queries, download the How to Conduct a Limited Query job aid.

What do employers need to do to satisfy the annual query requirement?Employers must obtain a general consent from CDL drivers they employ before conducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse to view these drivers’ information (you can download a sample limited query consent form). Employers may obtain a multi-year general consent from the driver for limited queries; if an employer obtained such a consent in 2020, the employer does not need to obtain the driver’s consent again in 2021.

Employers can  log in to the Clearinghouse and conduct annual queries today.

What if an employer conducted a pre-employment query within the past 12 months?The pre-employment query satisfies the annual query requirement for that driver. Employers are not required to query the driver until one year after that pre-employment query. To learn more about queries and consent requests, download the Queries and Consent Requests Factsheet.

What is a query plan?

Before an employer can conduct queries in the Clearinghouse, the employer must purchase a query plan. Download the  How to Purchase a Query Plan job aid for full instructions.
LOG IN TO THE CLEARINGHOUSE →

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.