Motor Carrier Safety 101 Series | Overview of Part 395 of Service and Accident Factor
- Cottingham & Butler
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
In the complex regulatory environment, maintaining compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Hours of Service (HOS) regulations presented significant challenges for fleet operators. Our recent webinar offered invaluable guidance for navigating Part 395 of the FMCSR and Factor 3 of a Compliance Review. The session provided practical strategies for identifying deficiencies in fleet HOS programs, preventing costly roadside inspection violations, and properly documenting accidents. By analyzing industry benchmarks and offering data-driven insights, this webinar equipped fleet managers with the knowledge needed to improve compliance scores and maintain operational efficiency even under the scrutiny of an audit.
Key Takeaways:
Drivers needed to certify their logs "immediately after the final required entry has been made" to maintain proper compliance with HOS regulations.
Fleet managers could significantly mitigate high accident rates by fully utilizing the FMCSA's DataQ system and Crash Preventability program.
Understanding commonly overlooked "on-duty time" violations was essential, including time spent during drug and alcohol testing, logging crashes, roadside inspections, and fueling.
The Federal Register served as an authoritative resource for resolving complex regulatory questions that weren't easily answered through standard guidance.
Providing drivers with visual training tools and comprehensive hours-of-service reference materials dramatically reduced roadside inspection violations and improved overall compliance.