This month we will be talking about the different levels of
vehicle inspection that are conducted at Ports Of Entry (POE) or roadside
inspection stations. We will also
discuss what the officer will be looking for in brief detail and how you as a
driver can help make the inspection go great.
Does your heart sink a little when you see the Port
Open sign or when you drive up on a typical site where officers set up roadside
inspection stations and see flashing lights.
We have been there before too, but we are here to help relieve that
stress, and get you excited to go through those POE’s. I know that you might be thinking that we
full of it right now, but I can promise that you will better understand the
process and know some of the tricks that will help you get through that
inspection with no violations.
This all starts with your daily inspection. Your inspection can alleviate all of your
stress when it comes to a POE. Take the
time to conduct a through inspection every day.
It really does pay off.
There are 8 levels of inspection that you might draw at a
POE. And there are several key items
that determine whether you are selected for an inspection. Lets start with the different levels of
inspections and what to expect.
Level VIII
– North American Standard Electronic Inspection. The North American Standard Level VIII Electronic Inspection is an
inspection conducted electronically or wirelessly while the vehicle is in
motion without direct interaction with an enforcement officer. This inspection includes, a descriptive
location, including GPS coordinates; electronic validation of who is operating
the vehicle; appropriate driver’s license class and endorsement(s) for vehicle
being operated; license status; valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill
Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate; current driver’s record of duty
status; hours-of-service; power unit registration; operating authority; Unified
Carrier Registration (UCR) compliance; and federal out-of-service orders.
Level VII –
Jurisdictional Mandated Commercial Vehicle Inspection. This is a jurisdictional mandated inspection program that does not meet
the requirements of any other level of inspection. An example will include
inspection programs such as, but not limited to, school buses, limousines,
taxis, shared-ride transportation, hotel courtesy shuttles and other
intrastate/intra-provincial operations. These inspections may be conducted by
CVSA-certified inspectors, other designated government employees or
jurisdiction-approved contractors.
Level VI – North
American Standard Inspection for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled
Quantities (HRCQ) of Radioactive Material. This is an inspection for select
radiological shipments, that include everything
listed in a Level I Inspection, radiological requirements and the North
American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria for Transuranic Waste and Highway
Route Controlled Quantities of Radioactive material
are also included in this inspection. As
of Jan. 1, 2005, all vehicles and carriers transporting HRCQ of radioactive
material are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are
required to pass the North American Standard Level VI Inspection.
Select
radiological shipments include HRCQ of radioactive material as defined by Title
49 CFR 173.403. And, because only a small fraction of transuranics are HRCQ,
the U.S. DOE decided to include its transuranic waste shipments in the North
American Standard Level VI Inspection Program.
Level V – Vehicle-Only Inspection. Is an inspection that includes
each of the vehicle inspection items specified under the North American
Standard Inspection (Level I), without a driver present, conducted at any
location. This inspection I utilized
during an audit.
Level IV – Special Inspections. Level IV inspections typically include a
one-time examination of a particular item. These examinations are normally made
in support of a study or to verify or refute a suspected trend. The reason an officer would use this
inspection would be if the company has had several violations on the same items
on different vehicles. A good example
would be break-a-way brakes.
These next 3 levels of inspections are the
most common types seen!
Level III – Driver/Credential/Administrative
Inspection. Level III Inspections must include,
examination of the driver’s license; Medical Examiner’s Certificate; driver’s
record of duty status; hours of service; seat belt; vehicle inspection report;
and carrier identification and status. NOTE: Mechanical
equipment violations specific to a Level I or Level II Inspection should not be
included in a Level III Inspection. If applicable, traffic
violations/infractions should be included on a Level III Inspection. Many times drivers will go through a Level
III inspection and never get paperwork.
As a driver you should always ask for the documentation to prove that
you had “No Violations” this will help
your company and you as a driver.
Level II – Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection. Level II Inspections must include everything listed in a Level III inspection plus: brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers. For buses, motorcoaches, passenger vans or other passenger-carrying vehicles emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments, seating will also be inspected. The walk-around driver/vehicle inspection will include only those items that can be inspected without physically getting under the vehicle.
Level I – North American Standard Inspection. The Level I inspection includes all of the items listed in Level III as well as what was listed in a Level II inspection plus the officer will be going under your vehicle to perform a through inspection of the vehicle. You can expect this inspection to take anywhere from 30min to 1.5 hours.
If you’re the lucky one to be chosen, you will be greeted
by an inspector who will take you into your own lane. You will have to
turn the truck off and in some cases, remove the key from ignition.
Wheels chocked, brakes released, and hand over your electronic log
device. This begins level 1 of the inspection. One of the most
important things, is to be organized. This will not only help the
inspector, but it can also help speed up the process. A couple tips to
move it long, know your dashboard, know where your controls are. Know how
to work your electronic log, you will need to access it and be able to email
your logs. Organizing your permits will also help to save time.
If you have pets, you need a plan. Pets have
to be secured before the inspection can begin.
* Driver’s license
* Electronic log
* Truck and trailer registration
* Insurance
* IFTA Card (International Fuel Tax Agreement)
* Permits
* Bill of landing, shipping papers or invoices
* USDOT Hazmat permit
* FMCSA Safety Permit (high risk loads)
* Special Permit (hazmat materials)
* State Hazmat Permit
* Emergency Response Information or MSDS
* Written Route Plan (hazardous materials)
* Copy of FMCSR Regulations
* Oversize Load Permits
The best outcome every driver hopes
for is No
Violations!
All Violations can
still warrant a ticket. An example of this type would be an error in the
form and manner on the electronic log, or as simple as a clearance light.
Sometimes these violations can be “forgiven” and no ticket is issued, but
remember that any violation that is issues will stick with you as a driver for
7 years and the company will feel the pain for the next 2 years.
Out of service (OOS). This
violation is one of the federal regulations listed by the CVSA. It must be
listed in the criteria or it falls under non-out of service violations.
You will get a ticket whether you own the truck or you drive for a
company. It is important to listen to the officer because every state is
different.
Even though violations
my not come with a citation, every violation still counts against you and the
company.
With the trucks, typical violations include
· Brake
problems such as out of adjustment
· Tires
· Load
securement
· Lights
· Oil
leaking
· Windshield
damage and obstruction
· No
proof of annual inspection
Hazmat
loads
· Improper
placards,
· Improper
marketing
· Expired
permits
· No
permit
· Violations
with shipping papers
We’ve all failed a road side inspection in
the past but that’s not going to stop us from driving. So let’s wipe away those
tears and pull up our big girl panties and keep on trucking.
There’s a few things that you really
need to know about passing a road side inspection. I know what you’re thinking, “Everyone has an
article on this.” We are going to let you in on some of our secrets that not
everyone knows.
First off ATTITUDE
is everything!
If you get pulled into a weigh station or
road side inspection area, don’t get stressed.
Go ahead and put on your “Yes Sir / Yes Ma’am” hat and get that
inspection started. Officers are just like
everyone trying to make a living and support their families. So let’s quickly shed the “they don’t like me
attitude” and show them some respect. In
turn they will respect you. It sounds
crazy but start the inspection off by seeming somewhat excited for the
opportunity to get inspected. In a lot
of the companies we have helped we have initiated an incentive plan for No
violation inspections. In all out honesty the drivers for those companies are
truly excited for the opportunity to get an incentive. When the officer finds
an issue don’t argue, or banter with them.
Simply say “Yes Sir”, fix the issue and move on. Don’t forget to take pictures of all
violations. There’s a few things that this does to help both the driver and the
company. First off if the violations are
bogus you now have picture proof.
There’s not much better evidence than a picture.
A lot of enforcement officers will ask the
driver for their credentials and the paperwork for the unit. If there are no issues, there be sure to ask
them for your level 3 inspection paperwork.
This not only helps the company but also helps the officers with any
MCSAP funding their department might be receiving.
Before you ever get to the inspection take the time to invite the surrounding
law enforcement agencies to your yard and have a conference with your
employees. I know there’s a couple of
guys out there right now reading this saying “No way, this guy’s crazy for even
suggesting that I invite the cops into my yard!” Again we are going to say that law
enforcement officers are just people trying to do their job. As soon as we change that mind set we will be
so much better off as drivers and company leaders. By inviting them into your
yard it shows your hand (or at least the cards you want them to see). While they are there asking them to provide
some feedback from what they’ve seen in the field lately. Listen to everything they have to say. You’ll
probably see a trend in violations. As a company you should start targeting
those violation trends in your own fleet.
Also provide the officers with the vital information that you offer
incentives for no violation inspections.
They will ask the drivers about this at the roadside inspection, so
don’t lie. One of the most important
things this does is it starts the relationship between your company / drivers
and local law enforcement. Who knows you
might even be on a first name basis in the very near future.
The last action item we’d like to mention is
encourage your drivers daily to make smart choices. Encourage them to be a step above the rest of
the drivers in the industry. Make every
employee of your company feel as though they play a vital role in the companies
wellbeing. Because let’s face it without
all of our employees we would be nothing more than an one person show working
our butts into the ground for a dollar.
If you start following these few short
objectives your drivers might start looking forward to going through the port
of entry, and maybe even a little disappointed when its closed. Your DOT scores will rapidly improve, you’ve
built a relationship with people who enforce the regulations, and added to the
foundation of your company.
