The Department of Transportation (DOT) has an agency known as Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), with the prime task of looking after the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry is widespread all over the country, with several stakeholders, and to keep an eye on them, FMCSA has issued some rules and regulations to keep the pace of the fleet businesses going. For every vehicle of every fleet, it is mandatory to have an FMCSA's registered DOT number. A DOT number cost is quite accommodative for the fleet owners, making it easier for them to obtain it. Here is a list of FMCSA regulations that fleet managers should be aware of while running a business.
CSA Scores
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, and Accountability. FMCSA is responsible for the safety, accountability, and compliance of the vehicles. The fleet managers should learn that their vehicles' progress and drive are being monitored by the authorities and their businesses are being scored based on CSA scores (these are actual scores, just some limits to determine vehicles' movement). The CSA scores are based on seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs).
● Vehicle maintenance
● Crash indicator
● Compliance with Hour of Service
● Unsafe driving
● Driver's wellness
● Hazardous material compliance
● Controlled substances/ alcohol
FMCSA also monitors the operational hours of fleet drivers working on a commercial motor vehicle with a commercial driver's license (CDL) in the United States. Many accidents are a result of driver's fatigue and tiredness, thus FMCSA has made sure to restrict the operational timings for drivers to avoid any unfavorable situation. Electronic logging devices help FMCSA to track the hours of service of fleet drivers. Violating the HOS can put the business and the driver, in trouble.
Substance Testing
Trucks are heavy vehicles, which can cause heavy destruction if mishandled. Many road accidents are a result of a driver's negligence of being under the sedation of substance or alcohol abuse. To avoid the risk FMCSA has instructed drug and alcohol testing for workers who drive commercial trucks and buses that entail a commercial driver's license. Fleet managers should know that it is mandated by FMCSA to conduct a thorough drug and alcohol test of all the drivers before hiring them. FMCSA has been directed to conduct the drug and alcohol testing in following situations;
● Before hiring drivers
● When there is a suspicion or some cause
● When returning to work after a break/holidays
● Regular follow-up basis
● After an accident occurs
Maintenance of Fleet
Certain fleet managers are reluctant to perform regular fleet maintenance practices. This would lower their quality and repute. FMCSA has instructed under its laws to carry out frequent and regular maintenance programs for the fleet which include mechanical maintenance, technical maintenance, security services, and other inspection follow-ups for drivers and vehicles both after every route drive. To keep the fleet running smoothly and your CSA score low, managers should be vigilant to implement a precautionary maintenance program and ensure drivers are completing pre-and post-trip inspections to avoid risky situations.
Management Skills
Not everyone can be a manager of the fleet. The manager needs to have excellent skills to show his credibility at work. Fleet management is quite a tough job as it requires constant 24/7 vigilance and keen observance. Fleet, either smaller or large, requires cooperation from drivers and the maintenance team. Manager and owner. To do so, many fleet managers are now using fleet management software to ease their job and work more efficiently and professionally. It helps the fleet managers to obtain real-time visibility into their operations and fleet functionality while increasing driver satisfaction and decreasing fuel usage through predictive analytics and accurate reporting.