DOT drug and alcohol testing, MVR monitoring, and the FMCSA Clearinghouse work hand-in-hand to ensure your drivers make it to their destinations safely.
December is a month full of celebrations, giving and receiving gifts, and spending time with family and friends. It’s also a time to be extra aware of your fleet’s safety and your company’s end-of-year compliance requirements.
December is National Impaired Driving Month
Throughout December, there are several observed holidays that can involve drinking alcohol. In 2019, the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) reported that 210 lives were lost due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes throughout the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Each of these deaths was preventable.
This is why avoiding impaired driving is such an important part of this month. Here are some tips to help your drivers stay safe on the roads throughout the holiday season:
- Remind employees to plan ahead – You want your drivers to be safe both in their cabs and their personal vehicles during the holidays. Encourage them to arrange a designated driver (DD) before their personal celebrations begin.
- Reward safe behavior – Recognize those who have not committed any alcohol violations during their employment or within a specific time period.
- Review your alcohol policy – Having an open conversation with your drivers about alcohol use and your zero-tolerance policy may motivate them to practice safer driving habits this month.
If you find that your drug or alcohol workplace policy needs updating, or you’re not sure it’s DOT-compliant, Foley is ready to help. Our DOT drug and alcohol testing program includes a completely compliant written policy that’s both clear and easy to use for training your employees as well as presenting to an auditor if it’s requested.
Encourage Safe Driving with MVR Monitoring
You know you’re required to run an MVR background check as a part of your pre-employment process, as well as an annual MVR check for each driver you employ, but what about the months between the annual check?
Simply put, if your driver commits any driving violations within the 11 months between their annual checks, you’ll be left in the dark, and you could be allowing a potentially dangerous driver to continue to represent your company.
Foley’s MVR monitoring program can change that.
If you decide to enroll your drivers in the program, we’ll run an MVR background check on all of them to establish a baseline. After that, their MVR is monitored on a regular basis. Whenever new information is available on a driver’s report, a “ping” or a “hit” is triggered.
These hits could indicate positive or negative changes to an MVR, such as:
- Accidents
- DUIs
- Speeding tickets or other driving violations or convictions
- CDL suspensions or revocations
- Safety violations
- Medical certificate downgrades or expirations
- Driver renewal or update to his or her medical certificate or CDL
Once we receive a hit on your driver’s report, we check it for errors, and then immediately notify you so you can take the right corrective action.
With your MVR monitoring program, you get exclusive access to the secure Foley platform, which is where you’ll receive real-time notifications of any MVR hits. You can check these notifications anywhere with your smartphone, tablet, or computer. As long as your drivers are enrolled, you’ll get continuous updates on all their MVRs.
Query the FMCSA Clearinghouse According to Regulations
The Clearinghouse retains records of drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations. Employers of CMV operators, like you, are required to query the Clearinghouse before hiring new CDL drivers and on an annual basis to ensure drivers are not prohibited from operating a CMV.
If your company is growing before the start of the new year, you’ll need to run a pre-employment query in the FMCSA Clearinghouse on all the CDL drivers you’ll potentially hire.
Since 2022 is quickly coming to a close, it’s also a good time to ensure you’ve completed your annual Clearinghouse queries on each of your drivers.
Keep your fleet running safely and protect everyone on the roads we share by querying your driver’s Clearinghouse records. Need help? No problem. Foley’s compliance experts can take care of your Clearinghouse requirements on your behalf.
Stand Against Impaired Driving in December
At the end of the day, your drivers are not only the reason your company keeps on moving, but they’re also loved and cared for by many people in their personal lives. Your positive influence could be the difference between them arriving at their destination safely and the unfortunate outcome no one wants to face this holiday season.
If you need support with a new-and-improved drug and alcohol testing program, MVR monitoring, or the DOT Clearinghouse, Foley is ready to help. Your company will have exactly what it needs to be DOT-compliant in the new year.
Need more information on any of the annual compliance requirements we covered above? Check out our related Foley article: Compliance Review: Annual DOT Requirements to Meet Before 2024
Get a free demo of Foley’s DOT compliance software now so you can focus on keeping your drivers safe during National Impaired Driving Month and beyond, instead of worrying about passing compliance audits. Complete the form below to get started.
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