Driver safety standards raised for small fleets

Constantly changing federal and state safety requirements for motor carriers are creating work for a local safety-consulting firm.

Brittney Inc. is helping more than 50 businesses comply with the ever-changing rules and thus avoid penalties, said the company's owner, Lee Johnson.

All commercial vehicles must operate under regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Missouri Department of Transportation's Safety Compliance Manual, which mimics the federal standards. Both agencies enforce the regulations and can impose fines from $100 to $2,000 on the state level and up to $10,000 per violation on the federal level.

"The regulations change on an ongoing basis," said Mark Biesemer, MoDOT's Motor Carrier Services supervisor for the Springfield region.

According to Brittney DOT manager Dan McBride, there are five major areas with new compliance guidelines: new employee hires, hours of operation, vehicle inspection reports, alcohol and substance abuse testing documentation, and licensing and physical documentation. Brittney finds that many businesses are unaware of these changes.

"The requirements for the small businessman, even though he operates in a local area, will resemble those (requirements) of the over-the-road driver," McBride, said. "The in-house documentations, the driver qualifications, the drug testing requirements and the hours of compliance will all resemble that of the over-the-road driver and the enforcement will step up to mimic that."

The last safety compliance manual was published in November 2001 and was updated in September. To keep affected businesses abreast of the new regulations, Biesemer said, MoDOT hosts free outreach seminars explaining the changes.

McBride said the problem is that many companies can't afford to pull employees off of the job for a day.

"Even though there has been symposiums and things offered by the state, it costs (businesses) money to take away from work and go learn what these standards are," he said.

Brittney is acting somewhat as a tutor for these companies and performing inspections to test compliance. The new business has raised Brittney's revenue by more than 15 percent. "In return (companies) have peace of mind, and it's a good step in trying to have a safe vehicle fleet with quality drivers without a large financial impact," said McBride.

Bob Whitlock, the fleet manager for Meek's The Builder's Choice, said the biggest change for his company is in additional record-keeping requirements.

"DOT is going to start watching a lot closer for smaller companies like ourselves to comply with all of the regulations and record keeping that we're supposed to be complying with," he said of Meeks' 340 vehicle fleet. "We're discovering that the rules and regulations ... continue to grow and get more complex."

Meeks has hired Brittney to visit each of its locations twice a year to monitor records and employees.

A newer company to the Springfield area, National Transit Staffing, a commercial driver-leasing agency that opened an office here in June, takes the time to sit in on the state's outreach seminars. Angie Born, NTS vice president of operations, said that as a supplier of commercial drivers it is paramount for her company to stay abreast of the regulations.

The state and federal agencies perform daily audits and performance reviews on motor carriers, Biesemer said.

"Everybody who puts a commercial motor vehicle on the road needs to be concerned," he said. "Whether you've been identified as a potential audit candidate or not, that chance is always there. You need to find out what is required and implement those systems as soon as possible."