TIPS FOR TRUCKERS: Increased Fines
Inflation Takes a Bite
Effective April 22, 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) increased fines for all federal trucking regulatory violations by a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) multiplier of 1.01636.
The organization is mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act: Improvements Act of 2015 to adjust fines annually according to inflation — only the second year using inflation as the new assessment standard.
Last year was the first year inflation rates were used as a benchmark. Previously, fine adjustments were rounded to the nearest multiple of $1,000; thanks to FMCSA’s ‘catch-up’ adjustment, in 2016 some fines increased while others decreased. This year, however, fleet owners should brace themselves for increases across the board.
Strategies for Fleet Owners
Other than the being aware of the increased price tag for violating safety regulations, what can fleet owners do to protect themselves?
· Focus on maintaining updated records to avoid unnecessary penalties such as tricky out-of-service (OOS) orders.
Operating a truck after it has been declared OOS, subjects the fleet to fines of $1,811 — up from $1,782 last year. Software such as GPS fleet management monitors vehicle maintenance, helping to ensure fleet owners are kept alerted about which vehicles can be on the road and which should be in the shop.
· Take the time to educate drivers.
Fines associated with recordkeeping violations by drivers — increasing to $3,685 from $3,626 last year — are easy fines to avoid if fleets and drivers utilize fleet tracking solutions to digitally log their hours-of-service. In addition, now that the recordkeeping maximum penalty per day is $1,214 — up from $1,194 — it’s even more essential that fleets and drivers maintain organized records in case of an audit.
· Upgrade to a digitally-connected fleet that fully understands safety expectations.
With the new fines in mind and the expectation of increases in years to come, fleet owners might consider making the investment in digital fleet management and tracking solutions sooner than later. Such tools are proving effective in promoting and tracking compliance easily and accurately, saving money in the long run.
For a full list of the increased fines, visit the Federal Register.
Alkane thanks Oswaldo Flores, writing for Teletrac Navman, for the content of this article.
Alkane Truck Company is currently raising capital on the crowdfunding platform StartEngine. Find out more here: https://www.startengine.com/startup/alkane
