The Costs of Noncompliance with DOT Regulations

DOT Fleet Compliance Operations

Today, consumers and businesses in the United States rely heavily on the trucking industry which transports nearly three-quarters (72.5%) of the nation’s freight, totaling 10.93 billion tons of freight in 2021 alone (McCain, 2023). Moreover, the trucking industry employs more than 3.5 million professional drivers and the industry generated $875.5 billion in revenues in 2021 (McCain, 2023). In sum, it is reasonable to suggest that everyone in the country relies to some extent on goods that have been transported by trucks to their end destinations, and Americans would be hard-pressed to replace these valuable transportation services. Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interests to ensure that the trucking industry operates in a safe and responsible fashion in terms of maintaining its trucking fleets. Furthermore, it is also in the best interests of individual trucking companies to ensure that they are in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations because violations can be exceedingly costly.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) increased the amount for citations in November 2018 pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 which addresses driver qualification regulations, vehicle maintenance regulations, hours of service regulations and record-keeping (DOT increases fines, 2018). At present, fines for noncompliance with DOT regulations range from a few hundred dollars for minor infractions such as erroneous record-keeping or training for hazardous materials to as much as $186,610 for violations of hazardous materials regulations the result in death or serious injury with $80,000 fines being the most common.

In other words, keeping up with the preventive maintenance on a fleet of 171 pick-up trucks and trailers represents a good investment both in terms of the safety of the company’s operations for its drivers and the general public but the potential massive savings for violations that could be prevented through a timely and comprehensive fleet maintenance program as well. It is also important to note that DOT safety regulations apply to pick-up trucks and trailers when they reach a certain weight threshold. For instance, according to Bohn (2007), “As soon as you tow anything, even a small trailer, if the GVWR [gross vehicle weight rating] is greater than 10,000 pounds, it becomes a commercial vehicle because of its combination weight rating” (para. 5). Because the GVWR also includes the weight of the pick-up truck, it is an easy matter to underestimate the maximum weight of freight that can be transported without complying with relevant DOT regulations concerning DOT number and daily inspection requirements.

It is also reasonable to posit that any company operating a fleet of 171 pick-up trucks and trailers will routinely exceed the weight threshold for DOT compliance. Consequently, it is essential for this company to implement and administer an inspection and maintenance regimen that includes daily inspections and the completion of a driver vehicle inspection report at the beginning and at the end of each shift. In this regard, Krause and Albert (2022) emphasize that, “Regular vehicle inspections and maintenance are at the top of the priority list for maintaining DOT compliancy” (para. 3). While completing a driver vehicle inspection report twice each day is a time-consuming enterprise, it is critically important to avoid safety issues that might occur on the road as well as to avoid expensive citations from the DOT. In the final analysis, it is clear that it is cheaper in the long run to comply with DOT regulations, but it is also in the best interests of the company’s drivers and the general American public that count on the trucking industry for its daily bread – and virtually everything else.