#42. How To Prepare For A DOT Safety Audit

This is the second episode of a 3 part series where I go over some of the most important aspects of compliance with the DOT and FMCSA regulations for motor carriers. This specific episode covers preparing for a DOT Safety Audit.

What to Expect From Episode 42

Even if you don't have a DOT Safety Audit on the horizon, you should always be prepared for one. Going through the process of preparing for an audit is a good way to make sure you are following all the regulations and won't get caught with your pants down if you are audited. If you have all your records organized and are maintaining them as required, you are doing 90% of what is required by the DOT, the other 10% is really just following the rules like obeying traffic laws and following the hours of service regulations.

A DOT Safety Audit is a review of a carrier's records designed to verify that you have basic safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the regs. Motor Carrier HQ has an audit assurance package that we spent years developing that is designed to help you make sure you are maintaining your records in compliance with the FMCSA Regulations. You can learn more about the Audit Assistance Package by clicking this link.

Audit Overview

Because I feel like the package that we developed, with the help of some DOT auditors, does such a great job, Craig and I spend a lot of the episode going over each part of the package and break down what records motor carriers are required to keep. To see the complete overview, including 16 items that will cause an automatic failure of a DOT Safety Audit, click through to the full show notes.