The prospect of a DOT Audit and the fine or change in safety rating that may result, can make many motor carriers panic. Knowing the process and how to prepare is key to easing this anxiety and ensuring a positive outcome.

This unique webinar that will explain, in detail, how FMCSA and its State enforcement partners conduct on-site and off-site compliance audits. This webinar was developed by STC from FMCSA safety auditor/investigator training manual, and it includes:

• How the audit process works, and how it differs between on-site and off-site audits
• The CSA BASICS and compliance areas most likely to be off-site audited
• Details on the number and type of records investigated during audits
• How the drivers and the records are selected, and
• And much more!

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data for Fiscal Year 2020 show that the number of compliance audits nationwide exceeded 12,000, and the number of off-site (remote) audits increased by 500%, from 1,013 in 2019 to more than 5,000 in 2020. And, much of this increase was planned by FMCSA even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. With the cost-efficiency of off-site audits, the ability of technology to facilitate them, and the pandemic-driven change in the way work is done, we can expect the number of FMCSA off-site audits to continue to climb.

This webinar will drill down specifically into the off-site audit process, the rules that govern it and the ways FMCSA and its state partners will interact with motor carriers. It will provide unique insight provide unique insight to help carriers prepare should you find a notice of impending audit in their inbox.

STC consults with motor carriers on discovering what is positively or negatively impacting their CSA scores and why and helps them chart a path toward improvement. STC can provide a detailed analysis of carrier CSA data and train staff to develop policies, programs and procedures that are proven to be effective.

Now that CSA has been in place for a decade, motor carriers are finally getting used to it. But now that new changes may be in the offing, the future is far less clear. STC provides training and webinar services to help carriers learn what current and future CSA programs may impact your business, and what you should do to prepare in this informative training. This training will discuss:

• Violations that have and continue to drive government oversight and interventions
• Identified CSA problems and challenges, and how they may be addressed
• The timeline for CSA improvements
• The new crash preventability program and what you should be doing
• And more

This one-of-a-kind training webinar is designed to explain in detail how FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination and DataQs programs work, and provide best practices to make sure you’re getting the most out of it. This newly developed virtual presentation will include:

• Details on the crash preventability program, including the expanded list of eligible crashes
• An in-depth explanation of DataQs and how/when they are used by fleets and drivers
• Documentation requirements and why good data and documentation matters
• Best practices for improving the odds of a successful challenge
• Resources available for each of these programs
• And much more

Fleet safety programs have evolved over the years based on the practical, real-life experiences of many motor carriers, and program and countermeasure effectiveness research. Safety-conscious fleets understand from experience that hiring the right people is critical to obtaining a safe and productive workforce and company. This webinar will highlight the best and most effective pre-employment driver screening techniques as identified in a new research report from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The 6 most effective driver screening techniques will be explained in detail, and the practical takeaways from this webinar will assist fleets in improving their hiring policies and guidelines. As an added bonus, this training will also highlight some of the most important personal and situational risk factors that affect driver safety, gleaned from a new FMCSA report.

Developing and implementing a great safety program is fundamental to the success of any motor carrier operation. Our consulting and training program relies on the four foundational aspects of strong safety programs: Culture, People, Technology and Data. STC can perform a robust safety gap analysis to discover critical deficiencies in each of these foundational areas and provide training to will walk participants through the how to use these elements to address critical safety gaps, reduce risk and improve safety.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration developed the Safety Management Cycle to assist safety auditors in helping carriers discover the root of any discovered compliance program. They found it so helpful they released it to the industry to encourage carriers to think critically about what causes compliance problems and how to implement programs that will drive change. This training explains the Safety Management Cycle and how to use it to probe your operations for weakness that, when corrected, can be changed into a strength that pays measurable safety and compliance dividends. It also steps through specific illustrative examples.

The Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse has been in effect now for more than a year, and experience has shown that proper planning and understanding of the details is critical for compliance by carriers and drivers. Accurate and timely information, training and advisory services are available by phone, on-site and by video webinar to safety managers and recruiters to help guide their company’s understanding of the comprehensive Clearinghouse rules. Carriers need to understand how querying the Clearinghouse for all new driver hires will affect the timing and workflow of their hiring processes. Advice and consultation on this topic will be as comprehensive as it gets. For example, STC’s one-of-a-kind training webinar/seminar will cover not only the rules and the timing of the required queries, but also answer common fleet questions like:

• Must all of my current drivers register with the Clearinghouse?
• How do we handle driver consent under the rules?
• How often must the company update its registration?
• What internal carrier policies need to be updated to remain compliant? and,
• How does this rule affect my independent contractors?

Let’s face it…no one likes being audited. DOT compliance audits (technically called compliance reviews) are still a threat to any motor carrier, no matter the size or compliance posture. And, as a result of the ELD mandate, FMCSA’s approach to auditing hours of service compliance through ELD records has changed. STC’s new training seminar/webinar covers the compliance audit waterfront, and specifically addresses the approach that FMCSA auditors, and their State agency counterparts, undertake to audit ELD records and HOS compliance. There simply isn’t a training seminar in the industry today that provides the information contained in this STC-developed program. If FMCSA comes knocking at your door, this training will help you prepares, and will raise your comfort level.

Created in 2018, this unique and comprehensive training program is available for on-site or webinar delivery that covers the waterfront on this evolving fleet safety technology. This program covers government and industry research on the benefits of cameras and event coaching, the technology currently available, the pros and cons of various technologies, the organizational culture, policies, and training needed to support an effective video event recorder program, and best practices gathered from all sizes and types of fleets that have already adopted the technology to benefit their safety, operations and claims experience. There is no other training program like this in the trucking marketplace today.

Comprehensive information, training and advisory services are available by phone, on-site and by video webinar to fleet managers and front-line supervisors employed by motor carriers that are using ELDs. There are a host of moving parts related to ELD use and many policy-related, practical, and operational issues must be considered and addressed by fleets. From the law, to the rules, to the many policy and operational considerations and challenges, training and consultation on this topic will be as comprehensive as it gets. For example, STC’s one-of-a-kind training will cover more than 25 real-world, operational issues and questions such as:

• Should my mechanic(s) be assigned an ELD user account to record time when they road tests trucks after repairs?
• What should a driver do if a shipper forces him to leave a facility and he is out of hours?
• What do I do when a driver forgets to log on or off the ELD? and,
• Does ELD use by my independent contractors pose unique challenges?

STC has unique, timely and specialized training for recruiters, dispatchers, front-line motor carrier safety personnel and managers as well as other carrier personnel that routinely work with independent contractors. It is imperative that motor carrier personnel understand the important distinctions between employees and independent contractors and they treat the ICs accordingly (e.g., using the proper terminology, etc.). Often, the day to day dealings with ICs forms the strongest basis for supporting and tuning an efficient no asset or asset-light model. Company websites should also be reviewed regularly to ensure the IC model is being accurately and correctly portrayed to the public at-large as well as prospective and even current ICs. STC can provide this type of website analysis and support as well. The use of ICs and the IC model is critical to the productivity and success of many trucking fleets; however, the IC model and the classification of owner-operators as independent contractors is under attack on multiple fronts. The recent increase in IC misclassification litigation against motor carriers makes this one-of-a-kind training program essential for your business. On-site training at your location or by video webinar focuses on three critical areas: the legal standards, practical application of those standards, and industry best practices to protect the status of your ICs and keep your transportation company in business and moving forward.

Every organization should be prepared to save as many lives as possible should an active shooter situation arise, especially trucking companies, where several recent, high-profile active shooter events have occurred. STC’s Workplace Violence Prevention Training is a two-hour, on-site training course that provides information, awareness, techniques and concrete strategies to create a safer, more secure working environment. Workers must have pre-planned response options they can easily remember and initiate under extreme stress to increase their chances of surviving. This training includes STC’s Active Shooter Training Module, which is specifically designed to increase the survivability of workers in an active shooter event. STC’s modules provide a model response framework which people can practice and recall under stress, resulting in lives saved and casualties mitigated.

Training and compliance-focused assistance is provided on current air cargo transport, screening, personnel and air cargo facility-related security requirements intended to safeguard and protect our aviation and surface transportation systems and networks. As a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed and subsequently mandated comprehensive air cargo security programs and protocols for parties involved in the handling and transport of air cargo. TSA continues to enhance its oversight and enforcement programs based on current intelligence and risk assessments, requiring industry stakeholders to stay constantly up to date on TSA enforcement priorities. In addition to training programs and expert compliance advice, STC’s service offerings in this area also include best practices information and implementation guidance, along with specialized government relations and advocacy-related services on aviation and air cargo security related issues.

Training and compliance-focused advice is provided on federal regulations prohibiting driver coercion. Driver coercion is more commonly thought of as pressure by a carrier, shipper, receiver or transportation intermediary on drivers to violate a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (e.g., hours of service rules, vehicle safety equipment rules, etc). These rules became effective in early 2016, and the industry is still unraveling their meaning, operational considerations, and the government’s approach to enforcement. Training and advice for motor carriers, shippers and transportation intermediaries is available to ensure compliance and keep

your drivers safe and productive. Training and consulting advice will address the strict elements of coercion as defined by FMCSA, types of conduct prohibited under the rule, whether a driver must object in order to make a coercion claim, what constitutes a ‘threat to withhold business, employment or work opportunities,’ and a great deal more.

High replacement costs coupled with potentially large tax expense can restrict the ability of a fleet owner to regularly replace existing transportation equipment. STC has developed a strategy for large fleet owners to purchase new transportation equipment and modernize the fleet in a cost efficient manner. STC conducts the preliminary analysis, provides a comprehensive report on the benefits of this strategy to the fleet owner and is available to assist in the implementation of the program.

State and local taxes impact the bottom line of transportation equipment rental and leasing companies and motor carriers (“Fleet Operators”) engaged in single or multistate operations. One type of tax applicable to Fleet Operators is sales tax. The purchase or lease of transportation equipment and related items may trigger sales tax rates of more than 9% in some locations on the purchase or lease charge. Multistate Fleet Operators are especially susceptible to incurring sales tax liabilities in various locations by virtue of their interstate operations. With a thorough understanding of multistate sales taxes, vehicle registration and vehicle titling laws, STC is positioned to guide Fleet Operators on strategies designed to lower or eliminate some sales tax liabilities, including the recoupment of sales taxes paid in error. STC monitors state and local sales tax developments impacting Fleet Operators and is well suited to provide guidance to clients on these issues.

This workshop is a unique DataQs training program. It is designed to teach carrier personnel the nuts and bolts of FMCSA’s DataQs system. It is truly a one-of-a-kind, “How To” session that will teach new or novice users on what the system is for, the types of data that can be challenged, what documentation must be provided when making a challenge, and how to raise your chances of winning a data challenge. Your CSA scores are important, and DataQs helps you manage the data feeding your scores.