As most company owners and management are aware, highway fatalities have been rising sharply on our nation’s highways in recent years. A major contributor to the sharp rise is speeding. This has not gone unnoticed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In recent conversations with safety and compliance personnel that have incurred a recent FMCSA compliance review, we are receiving reports that auditors are looking closely for speeding violation warnings and citations. Patterns of violations are resulting in a “Notice of Claim” otherwise known as a fine to drivers.
Companies that cannot document how they are managing their drivers and monitoring speed and violations are being issued a notice of claim as well.
One area many operators often miss is the miles traveled on a trip versus time logged. While it requires some additional time to scrutinize driver logs, it is a relatively easy technique to discover if a driver’s foot is getting a little heavy and perhaps more effective than waiting for traffic citations.
Note: company and drivers can receive fines for excessive speed discovered on logs. Speeding citations in a private vehicle can be considered part of establishing a pattern that results in fines.
Be certain your drivers are aware of your company’s policy regarding speeding and make sure dispatch allows sufficient time for drivers to arrive at their destinations without pressure to speed.
Speak with your insurance company representative and see what resources they may have available to help you get the message out regarding speeding and its sneaky cousin – too fast for conditions.
