U.S. DOT NEW ENTRANT SAFETY AUDIT

Pursuant to FMCSR 385.307, all new entrants (Commercial Motor Carriers that have opened a DOT# within the previous twelve months), will be subject to an 18-month new-entrant safety monitoring period. During that period, EVERY company with a DOT # will be audited by the FMCSA WITHIN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS OF OPERATION.

Most often, this audit will not take place during the first 3 months of operation, but can occur sooner, if a company’s accident rate, or driver or vehicle violation rate is higher than industry average.

During a new entrant audit, a company will be expected to provide the following information, in accordance with FMCSR 385.311:

• Driver qualification
• Driver duty status
• Vehicle maintenance
• Accident register
• Controlled substance abuse and alcohol use and test requirements (FMCSR 382)

If an audit is failed, either by lack of response by a company, or because the company’s records are not in compliance with FMCSA regulations (FMCSR 385.321), the company will be placed Out-Of-Service for a minimum of 30 days. AFTER 30 days has passed, the company can resubmit the required information, AND resubmit an MCS-150 (the form used to provide company information to the FMCSA).

During an Out-Of-Service order by the FMCSA, a company cannot operate ANY vehicles within the fleet that qualify as Commercial Motor Vehicles. This will lead to a loss of revenue for the company, and the Out-Of-Service order will also likely affect a company’s insurance and brokerage rates in the future.

When being audited by the FMCSA, it is important for a company to employ the services of a compliance specialist. In much the same way as hiring a legal team for a tax audit provides the greatest chance of a positive outcome, so too, can compliance specialists assist in FMCSA audit preparation.

The audit team at Federal Applications Processor Hoffenmer prides itself on over ten years of industry experience, while offering the most hands-on, client-centered audit preparation. Visit www.dotaudits.us, scroll down to complete the application or call Federal Applications Processor Hoffenmer at (240) 544-0884 to ensure that the company receives the best possible audit preparation, and the best possible outcome of a New Entrant Audit.