First, what is FMCSA? FMCSA stands for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation who develops and enforces safety regulations to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large buses and trucks. FMCSA implements safety programs in partnership with Federal, State, and industry organizations such as law enforcement (State DOTs) highway patrol; for the purpose of conducting roadside inspections and other types of carrier monitoring agencies.
FMCSA Quick History
FMCSA was established by Congress on January 1st, of 2000 as a separate agency within the DOT. Now get this, The Bureau of Motor Carriers released the first federal truck safety rules in 1936, then thirty years later Congress established the DOT believing an integrated transportation system would benefit aviation. The new agency would coordinate and manage transportation programs, provide leadership in the resolution of transportation problems, and develop national transportation policies and programs. The most recently added innovation from the agency is FMCAS Clearinghouse, a system that tracks commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders’ drug and alcohol testing program violations, which was established in January 2020.
FMCSA VS DOT
FMCSA ( Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and DOT ( Department of Transportation) together these organizations create and enforce rules that trucking companies and CDL holders must follow, ensuring the well-being of all road users. DOT regulations apply to any vehicle that crosses state lines with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rate (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more. The rules cover driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, and drug and alcohol testing. The FMCSA agency focuses on regulating the trucking industry.
Rules and regulations
Here we’ll go over the rules and regulations of both agencies in comparison. FMCSA regulations apply to everyone involved in commercial motor vehicle operations such as drivers, driver trainees, dispatchers, trainers, supervisors, and fleet managers. Drivers must follow the “Hours of Operation” rule, which allows the driver to work up to 14 hours in 24 hours; 11 drive time hours, and 3 hours for other duties such as fueling, loading/unloading, pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Drivers must take a mandatory 30-minute break when they have driven 8 hours.
Dispatchers are to follow strict guidelines when dispatching drivers, scheduling routes, and communicating with drivers on the road. They have training in identifying and addressing potential safety issues. This training includes identifying driver fatigue and alertness, understanding hours of service regulations, and recognizing signs of drug or alcohol abuse. Dispatchers are required to maintain up-to-date records of all driver activities, including hours of service, driving routes, and delivery times. These records must be kept for a minimum of six months and can be used by inspectors to verify compliance with federal regulations, and audits. There are new rules that require dispatchers to regularly communicate with drivers on the road, providing them with updates on traffic conditions, weather, and any potential hazards along their route.
Fleet Managers also have FMCSA rules and regulations to follow. The Fleet Manager is responsible for planning, directing, managing, coordinating, and supervising the company’s fleet, and is also responsible for the maintenance, repair, replacement, and disposal of fleet vehicles. The fleet manager also serves as the primary contact concerning the vehicle fleet and operations, they make the ultimate decision whether a vehicle is safe to have on the road. They ensure all units comply with all Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations.
Truckers’ Point Of View
Let’s go, let’s get ready to roll to the point of view from the driver’s seat. As it is a truck driver’s job can be stressful enough navigating the roadways with horrible 4-wheelers (cars, pickups, and smaller vehicles) driving any way they feel in disregard to everyone else on the road going about their day; we’ll tackle that topic in a later blog. Starting from the top with the FMCSA HOS (hours of service) rule that needs adjusting. The primary reason that needs to be adjusted for drivers is that a lot of our time is taken up at shippers and receivers during the loading or unloading process killing the clock and leaving the driver in a compromising position, and not always guaranteed to get paid detention is completely absurd. Say a driver arrives at a facility with 6 hours of drive time on their clock and gets held up in the dock for 8 hours which means they have little to no drive time to cover any ground or no truck stop within their remaining driving limit, not to mention if that facility don’t have room or allows overnight parking; the driver should be able to get all but 2 hours back, which would be 4 hours; some ground can be covered in a 4 hours. There is an 8/2 split rule that can be used in situations like this, but that rule can be difficult to use, primarily due to the electronic log system. BRING PAPER LOGS BACK!!!
DOT rules and regulations are not difficult to follow for the most part. DOT needs to make some minor adjustments for some situations such as being put out of service for a flat tire that was inflated during the driver’s pre-trip inspection. Once a driver completes the pre-trip inspection and begins their journey to the next destination not all issues with the moving vehicle will be known to the driver during the commute; like, a flat tire if it does not cause the truck to driver or ride differently, and how can you tell on most of these broken up roadways. Running lights that go out during the commute are very difficult to detect, blue airline coming disconnected, one headlight going out, and especially things that can go on with the trailer while in transit aren’t always easily detected. The reason these become a headache to drivers when it comes to DOT is that we can potentially be cited, ticketed, and/or written up; which goes against the driver’s safety score and the company’s safety score.
So, in conclusion, DOT is the winner of being the worst of the two agencies; solely because they are EVERYWHERE and target truck drivers holding us under a microscope and not only for safety but because of MONEY! Yes, money. They know we have to run freight for our company and maintain our livelihood which is our CDLs and most of the time we don’t have the schedules to contest in whatever state so the majority of us just pay up along with the company paying up to stay in business and compliance. All motor vehicles should be addressed by DOT similar to truckers, because it’s mainly the 4-wheelers that are the biggest nuisance on the roads (we’ll get deeper into that topic in another blog). DOT needs to be more realistic about minor issues that can take place while the truck is in motion and start revving up on major issues with smaller vehicles that are creating unsafe travel. It’s not always the truck driver’s fault for an incident and needs to stop being blamed for everything that happens on these roads. 4- Wheelers need to stop looking for us to be their “BIG PAYOUT”, it’s not guaranteed you will even survive to enjoy it and at the end of the day, it’s not worth it. Respect all motorists on the roads especially truckers! Share the road and appreciate truck drivers, who supply the world with all its goods.