The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires the companies they regulate to keep records to document their compliance with safety regulations. This documentation must be saved for varying lengths of time as established by the related regulations. During safety audits and DOT compliance reviews, auditors will carefully comb through your DOT records. By purging unnecessary records and properly organizing your files, you will simplify and streamline the review process — which can go a long way with a DOT officer. Below, we cover some of the most important DOT record-keeping requirements to help companies organize and maintain their files regularly.
The following records must be maintained for at least two years:
The following records must be maintained for at least one year:
Additional record retention requirements:
The employer’s policy, driver’s signed receipt, and all records related to employer and supervisor education and training must be retained while the individual performs safety-sensitive and/or supervisory functions and for two years thereafter.
Both the Driver Qualification and Safety Performance History Files must be retained for as long as the safety-sensitive individual is employed by the company, and for three years thereafter.
The following documentation may be discarded from the Driver Qualification File three years from the date of execution:
The following hours-of-service records must be maintained for six months:
Supporting documents, such as:
If your drivers operate strictly on short-haul runs, you are required to document the time your drivers clock in and out, the total time worked during the current period, and the total time worked during the previous seven days.
For every vehicle in their control for 30 days or more, DOT-regulated companies must retain the following records for one year at the location where the vehicle is garaged and for six months after the vehicle leaves the company’s control:
Other vehicle maintenance recordkeeping requirements:
Remember, it's easier to create a clean, organized DOT record-keeping system from the very beginning. Too much time can be wasted trying to use or fix a recordkeeping system that's barely keeping up with the latest federal regulations.
Setting up (or switching) your DOT recordkeeping system in a secure, 100% online platform is the best way to ensure all your DOT files are organized and kept up to date according to FMCSA requirements.
Ready to make your recordkeeping easier? You don't have to go very far. Foley's DOT recordkeeping experts are here to help you transfer your files to our platform and help ensure you're audit-ready every day.
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