Preventing Violations – How You Can Help
It is always costly when a driver receives roadside violations for Hours of Service. There are many different ways we can prevent these violations. While it starts with the drivers, the truth is that compliance is a collective effort across multiple departments at P&S Transportation. It begins with understanding the regulations, then requires that drivers remain compliant with them, and finally, it is important to maintain accountability after violations are discovered. Below is a breakdown of how you can help prevent Hours of Service violations, no matter what your role at P&S Transportation is.
Drivers
- Plan your trips. This requires communication with your Driver Manager, and occasionally, rescheduling appointment times.
- Keep your log books current.
- If you’re in doubt about the regulations, utilize the Safety department.
- Review your logs every night for neatness, compliance and accuracy. Do not get in a hurry.
Operations
- Communicate with drivers about their available hours and mandatory rest breaks.
- Utilize the Feasibility feature. This is a very good indicator of whether a driver should be assigned to the load.
- Use every opportunity that you speak with the driver to ask if he/she has updated their log books. It seems small, but repetition is key.
Safety
- Encourage drivers to get involved in Safety. This is DFG, Safety Videos, Inspection Lanes, Safety devices installed in trucks, the Simulator, Smith System, and much more.
- Reward a job well done. Congratulating a driver on a clean inspection with both a phone call and DFG points is a personal reminder that compliance matters.
- Maintain accountability when violations are received.
At P&S Transportation compliance is everyone’s responsibility, not just the driver. Feel free to contribute your thoughts below on any additional ways in which you help P&S prevent violations over the road.