Regulations & Regulatory Agencies
The DOT was created in 1967 and provides regulations for situations ranging from inspection, repair and maintenance of commercial motor vehicles to the transportation of hazardous materials. More specifically, its primary concern is with the safe transportation of people and goods by roadway, rail, air or water.
As with OSHA regulations, some of your clients may not know that DOT regulations have any bearing on their business operations. They should know that the DOT's rules apply to more than 7.4 million workers, including 6.6 million truck drivers with commercial driver licenses. They cover both interstate and intrastate truck and motor coach operations including those operated by federal, state, and local governments, churches and civic organizations, Indian tribes, farmers, custom harvesters and for-hire private companies.
Many of your customers will be unaware that a "commercial vehicle" is defined by the DOT as ANY vehicle used to transport passengers or property when . . .
- The vehicle weighs more than 10,000 pounds...OR...
- The vehicle is designed to transport more than 15 people...OR...
- The vehicle is used in the transportation of hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding.
You might want to make sure your client is aware that operation of the vehicle is covered by an array of DOT regulations.
The two areas regulated by the DOT that are most likely to affect your client's facilities relate to vehicle safety and the shipment of hazardous materials.
The DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations or FMCSR's set safety standards for drivers and their vehicles. These standards apply to all interstate commercial motor vehicles. Additional intrastate driver safety regulations may exist depending on the state. The DOT has also issued alcohol and drug regulations calling for mandatory testing, education and prevention programs for workers in safety sensitive positions.
The hazardous materials regulations have the widest application. Hazardous Materials regulations apply to ALL private, common, and contract carriers transporting materials that have been designated hazardous. They exist to minimize the dangers to life and property in the event of an accident during the transportation of these materials.
If your client’s company is involved in the transportation of hazardous materials, then they are bound to the DOT's strict guidelines requiring them to . . .
- Complete shipping papers for each hazardous materials shipment.
- Properly label and placard all hazardous shipments.
- And provide extensive employee emergency response training.
Failure to comply with any of these requirements or failure to comply with them correctly can result in serious penalties and fines for your client.
Take some time to understand these regulations. They are outlined in a number of Keller publications and software products. Remember, as an IDC partner, the more familiar you are with the regulations, the more opportunities you will see when discussing safety and compliance needs with your clients.
Key Products:
Keller-Soft(TM) For DOT Safety (8-KS) - Provides instant access to word-for-word FMCSRs and plain-English compliance explanations.
Keller-Soft(TM) For DOT HazMat Compliance (38-PD) - Powerful software lets you find what you need... in seconds!
Fleet Safety Compliance Manual (8-M) - Word-for-word FMCSRs, "how-to" compliance explanations, and DOT's official interpretations ... in one easy-to-use source.
Alcohol & Drugs: DOT Compliance Manual (135-M) - Find out how to conduct DOT-required alcohol and drug tests...
HazMat Training Basics (150-K) - Program takes you beyond general awareness training to address all of DOT's HazMat training requirements.
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