DOT Compliance 1-Day Seminar in Chicago June 19, 2025

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
• DOT auditing procedures
• DOT rules for drug and alcohol testing and all paperwork that is required
• Introduction to DOT Compliance, including registrations, common issues, and the 16 violations that cause audit failures

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?

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.

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 – and then, trains you on what else gets uncovered during a DOT audit. 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 – but if an audit is in your future, prepare for it today.

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?

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.

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