3 Mistakes When Picking DOT Compliance Companies

Should you manage Driver Qualification Compliance or outsource it? The answer to that question is what will you do with that time and does it bring the company a higher return than managing compliance? 

1. Not Compliance Experts / Don’t Want to Be: These people usually work at a private fleet or specialize in HR. DOT Compliance fell on their plate. They know it’s important but don’t have the bandwidth to figure it out. They know the price of learning on the job could cost the company big with a bad mistake.
2. Let Me Be A Safety Professional!: Compliance is the Safety department's responsibility at 99% of motor carriers out there. Compliance is NOT safety. At its most basic level, compliance is literally following the rules set forth by the government. Outsourcing compliance lets you focus on risk reduction. Most clients spend this time coaching more drivers to keep improving the quality of their fleet.

So you fall into one of those camps — who should you outsource to? There are several types of DOT compliance softwares and companies out there. This blog post will help you identify and avoid common mistakes that happen when it comes to choosing DOT compliance companies. 

Mistake 1: Not Understanding What Your DOT Compliance Company Covers

What exactly does the DOT compliance company you’re considering cover? 

There are generally two types: 

1. Driver compliance only, or
2. Comprehensive compliance solutions, including trucks & trailers, insurance, hours of service, your DOT number and driver compliance.

That’s the No. 1 thing to identify before you choose a compliance company. Is the provider just concerned with driver compliance or do they look at the full scope of DOT compliance? AvatarFleet’s A-Suite Comply offering, for example, specializes in driver qualification file compliance specifically.

The next question to answer is which agencies does the DOT compliance company cover? Do you need to comply with regulations beyond FMCSA, perhaps Federal Aviation Administration or Federal Transit Administration rules? Then you’ll want to ensure your compliance software accounts for the given agency’s regulations as well.

Who Are the Best DOT Compliance Companies?

For DQ file management:

• AvatarFleet’s A-Suite Comply 

For comprehensive compliance: 

• Coverfleet
• King Safety and Compliance 
• Synergy Solutions
• Sheakly
• Sherp
  
  

Mistake 2: Not Understanding Liability

Certainly, you should do your due diligence and read the fine print before signing an agreement with a third party, but ultimately it’s important to understand that you are liable in the event of an accident, even if you outsource DOT compliance or use DQ file management software. When it comes to litigation, the motor carrier is still responsible for a driver qualification file that’s missing required information or is otherwise not in compliance.  

That’s why it’s so crucial to work with a DOT compliance company that provides regular communication and monthly audit reports at a minimum and ensures you have access to your own files, so you can take a peek any time you have a question about a compliance issue. 

An open conversation with the compliance company is a must-do. Don’t be afraid to ask them how they’ll help you in the event of an audit. Will they say, “You’re on your own?” Or will they provide you guidance and assistance?

At AvatarFleet, for example, we’ll assist our A-Suite Comply customers to guide them through the process. These are all things you can do on your own, but audits are stressful so we’re here to walk you through if needed:

1. Build the List: You have seven days to confirm everything is compliant so we recommend double checking every record before you send it. 
2. Export Records: The first general review will be submitting your records to the FMCSA portal. We’ll hold your hand as you create the list of records to export and upload the zip file into the portal.
3. Prove Onsite Access: Auditors have told our clients they love reviewing records in our software — it’s faster and easier for them. We’ll hold your hand to give them access to what they asked for and nothing more.
   
   

Mistake 3: Not Understanding the DOT Compliance Company's Pricing Model

As with any service, you want to have a clear understanding of what you’ll be getting for your money before you sign up. 

Are you paying a flat monthly fee? Tiered pricing based on the total number of drivers? Per driver? Per vehicles in the fleet? It’s important to know this information upfront. 

How Much Do DOT Compliance Services Cost?

Pricing for DOT compliance services varies widely based on the provider and their pricing model. 

At AvatarFleet, our pricing is based on how many drivers we touch in a month. Once you onboard drivers, you will likely only touch them once or twice a year for compliance purposes, such as when they need MVRs run. You don’t look at every single driver every month, so we don’t charge you for them. 

Other firms have tiered pricing models that cover the number of drivers you have in the system across the board. 

Questions to Ask DOT Compliance Companies

In addition to avoiding the mistakes above, you can use the questions below to guide your conversations with DOT compliance companies. 

• How many DOT audits have you assisted with? 
• What was the outcome of those audits?
• How long have you been doing DOT compliance?
• What kind of continuing education do you do to stay on top of trends, regulations and rulemaking?
• What CMV industry professional organizations do you belong to?

As you can see, whether you’re looking for just DQ file management or you need a comprehensive solution, it’s important to do your research when choosing a DOT compliance company. If you need help narrowing down your options, don’t hesitate to get in touch.