For carriers, being informed about driver behavior – especially violations and licensing changes – is the first step to creating a safer and more cost-effective fleet.
Unfortunately, not all carriers are as informed as they could be, often following the bare minimum requirements of going a year between motor vehicle records (MVR) reviews. This leaves significant time for costly issues to go undetected.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require motor carriers to review all of their drivers’ MVRs on at least an annual basis. Carriers hoping to create a culture of safety and safeguard their businesses against potential litigation should go above and beyond this regulatory requirement.
By establishing an ongoing MVR monitoring program, carriers can protect themselves from risky actions like unknowingly dispatching a driver without a valid license.
“There are a few different pathways carriers can take to establish an MVR monitoring program” said Jill Schultz, senior transportation safety editor at J. J. Keller & Associates Inc. “They could simply schedule reviews themselves, sign up for a pull/push program if offered by their state driver licensing agency or work with a third-party provider that offers monitoring services.”
Regardless of the path a carrier takes, the benefits of implementing an MVR monitoring program – and the risks of not doing so – are significant.
For carriers that are not keeping a close eye on drivers’ records, the consequences of dispatching an unlicensed driver can be costly and widespread.
What could happen if a carrier uses a driver without a valid license?
- Fines and penalties for both the motor carrier and driver.
- Driver being placed out of service during an inspection or traffic stop.
- Downgrade of the carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score.
- Litigation as the result of an accident/incident.
Beyond ensuring that drivers are properly licensed, utilizing an MVR monitoring program enables carriers to identify issues before they lead to an accident, or even a license revocation.
If risky driving behaviors are revealed during the monitoring process, carriers can implement corrective action training (CAT) to address them before they become more severe – and more costly.
What is CAT?
- A brief, targeted training session (no more than 10 minutes in duration).
- Focused on an individual driver in response to a violation, accident or complaint.
- Focused on a specific problem area.
- Instruction should occur as soon as possible following the incident that triggered the need for training.
The goal of CAT
- Address and correct a minor issue, problem or bad habit when it first occurs ― before it escalates into something major that could lead to an accident and/or violation.
- Lets driver know that the motor carrier is serious about safety and compliance.
Monitoring after CAT
Once CAT is completed, the driver should continue to be monitored to:
- Verify that CAT is effective.
- Reinforce to the driver that safety is a priority.
- Provide proof that there is a change in behavior.
“When establishing a CAT program, carriers should define their processes, procedures and consequences from the beginning,” Schultz added. “This includes determining what scenarios warrant driver completion of CAT and establishing a process for notifying the driver that CAT is required.”
The implementation process should also include clearly defining the consequences for drivers who do not complete CAT or repeat the same violation after completion. These consequences must align with any state labor laws or contracts/agreements with employees.
Michael’s story: An example of how to use MVR monitoring and CAT
Every year, as one of several year-end tasks, Michael pulls and reviews each driver’s motor vehicle record. Typically, this is a relatively easy process – send requests to the state driver licensing agencies, review the MVRs returned, document that each MVR has been reviewed, and then place the MVR and review documentation in each driver’s qualification file.
This year, there is something different that Michael didn’t expect. He found traffic violations on the MVRs of three drivers. Now what?
Michael could consider this a rare occurrence, place the paperwork in the DQ files and ignore the issue. Or he could take action to address these violations with the drivers in an effort to prevent further offenses or issues.
How Michael addresses this issue could be the difference when it comes to preventing future violations, incidents and accidents. And in turn, it could prevent increases in insurance premiums and potential litigation.
First, to avoid surprises, Michael should be monitoring driver records on a more frequent basis and have a policy that requires drivers to report driving violations when they occur. Then, when violations happen or are discovered, Michael should provide corrective action training.
Once training is completed, the driver should continue to be monitored to verify that CAT is working. This lets the driver know the company is serious and provides proof that there is a change in behavior. This could prove vital if the driver is involved in a related accident or incident later on.
The goal is to keep drivers safe and compliant as efficiently and effectively as possible.
A third-party provider, such as the J. J. Keller Encompass Fleet Management System, which includes both on-demand and ongoing MVR monitoring, is one such solution that makes this possible.
According to Schultz, “By identifying risky behaviors today, you can help prevent crashes tomorrow.”