Did you know more than 50% of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) safety audits are now done offsite? An offsite audit consists of uploading electronic documentation and phone interviews, which moves the inspection process along much faster compared to in-person meetings.
The shift from onsite to offsite has made it easier for FMCSA to conduct more inspections. According to an article published by Overdrive, entitled Smallest carriers, the largest share of DOT audits, now face increased offsite scrutiny, just under 1.4K audits were performed last year Jan through July; looking at this same time period in 2020, 3.6K audits have been completed. The same article suggests that by the end of the year, there will be 5X more audits performed year-over-year.
Since small carriers make up the largest percentage of trucks on the road, it makes sense that they also make up the biggest share of audits. “Small carriers have already endured so much this year’” said Dean Corbolotti, Sleek Technologies. “Adding increased scrutiny and fines will make it even more difficult for the small carriers to stay afloat.”
Carriers can be proactive by staying on top of their CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) scores, which are generated from several data sources including roadside inspections, crashes, investigation results, and registration. The FMCSA identifies high-risk carriers using CSA, so if a carrier has a higher than normal score they should prepare for an offsite audit. To check your CSA, click here.
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