Unlicensed Truck Drivers and Safety Violations: Do we need more oversight from FMCSA?

[Mike]

Senator John Hickenlooper has sent a letter to the FMCSA urging stricter oversight of trucking companies, highlighting issues like unlicensed drivers and inadequate safety audits. He points to a recent fatal accident involving an unlicensed driver in Colorado as an example of the risks. Hickenlooper believes the FMCSA needs more resources to enforce safety standards and ensure compliance.

Do you think the FMCSA is doing enough to ensure trucking safety, or are more regulations and audits needed to protect drivers and the public?

 

[Duck]

From Wikipedia:

Hickenlooper calls himself "a fiscal conservative." He has said, "I don't think the government needs to be bigger. I think the government's got to work, and people have got to believe in government, and I think that's part of the problem," and "I think what a lot of Americans want is better government, not bigger government."​

Yet here he is, proposing more government. What a hypocrite.

 

[Mike]

From Wikipedia:

Hickenlooper calls himself "a fiscal conservative." He has said, "I don't think the government needs to be bigger. I think the government's got to work, and people have got to believe in government, and I think that's part of the problem," and "I think what a lot of Americans want is better government, not bigger government."​

Yet here he is, proposing more government. What a hypocrite.

So, you think the FMCSA is doing enough here?

Politics aside, unsafe trucks are running rampant out here.

I have had been an owner operator for several years now. 7 with my own authority. In those 7 years, I have never, EVER, had a vehicle inspection on my truck or trailer. I got one driver inspection (level 3) about 5 years ago, and two more in the last 3 months. Other than that, nothing.

The state of Arkansas make an error last year and suspended my truck registration. I had no idea. I was red lighted continuously at weigh stations, but never pulled in. The reason for the red light was the registration. I finally went inside one day to ask why I got the red light, and they told me. Yet they still let me go, as did every other scale that had pulled me in for the past couple weeks.

We have a huge percentage of small carriers out here (1 or 2 trucks) that are unable to work with many brokers due to zero inspections on file in the past two years. This is a red flag for many brokers now due to all the fraud and scamming going on.

The letter this senator wrote to FMCSA was largely due to accidents in his state being caused by not only unsafe equipment, but unlicensed drivers.

 

[Electric Chicken]

So, you think the FMCSA is doing enough here?

Politics aside, unsafe trucks are running rampant out here.

I have had been an owner operator for several years now. 7 with my own authority. In those 7 years, I have never, EVER, had a vehicle inspection on my truck or trailer. I got one driver inspection (level 3) about 5 years ago, and two more in the last 3 months. Other than that, nothing.

The state of Arkansas make an error last year and suspended my truck registration. I had no idea. I was red lighted continuously at weigh stations, but never pulled in. The reason for the red light was the registration. I finally went inside one day to ask why I got the red light, and they told me. Yet they still let me go, as did every other scale that had pulled me in for the past couple weeks.

We have a huge percentage of small carriers out here (1 or 2 trucks) that are unable to work with many brokers due to zero inspections on file in the past two years. This is a red flag for many brokers now due to all the fraud and scamming going on.

The letter this senator wrote to FMCSA was largely due to accidents in his state being caused by not only unsafe equipment, but unlicensed drivers.

I'd rather not be inspected because I trust myself, but I want everyone else to be inspected because I don't trust them.

 

[Mike]

I'd rather not be inspected, but I want everyone else to be inspected.

It becomes a different story with your own authority. The number of brokers automatically blocking you for this is continuing to grow. And for some, the driver inspections (level 3) is not enough either because your equipment hasn't been inspected.

At the very least, x amount of time since last registered inspection should require the truck be inspected. If the FMCSA could do this one thing, that would do wonders toward cleaning up the bad trucks and drivers from the road, as well as bringing freight rates back up.

 

[Electric Chicken]

It becomes a different story with your own authority. The number of brokers automatically blocking you for this is continuing to grow. And for some, the driver inspections (level 3) is not enough either because your equipment hasn't been inspected.

At the very least, x amount of time since last registered inspection should require the truck be inspected. If the FMCSA could do this one thing, that would do wonders toward cleaning up the bad trucks and drivers from the road, as well as bringing freight rates back up.

I just want the world and government to leave me alone.

I had a few brokers tell me no but it wasn't for lack of inspections, it was for age of authority. Then when rates took a shit I decided it was no longer worth it, as did a few friends of mine.

Walmart said I could sign a contract with them if I had 10 trucks. No mention of inspections or age of authority. Just needed at least 10 trucks.

 

[Mike]

I just want the world and government to leave me alone.

In an effort to have a decent discussion here in the forum about this topic,

Are you content with all trucks being left alone? Just leave it to the company to maintain their equipment as they see fit and hire whoever they want, licensed or not? Because that's what being left alone means. It doesn't work.

 

[Electric Chicken]

In an effort to have a decent discussion here in the forum about this topic,

Are you content with all trucks being left alone? Just leave it to the company to maintain their equipment as they see fit and hire whoever they want, licensed or not? Because that's what being left alone means. It doesn't work.

We have annual federal DOT inspections. Roadsides and scales are random fishing expeditions. 1 gets pulled over, 500 drive by.

People who know they're in violation will bypass a scale.

So to answer your question, no I don't want my safe truck pulled over getting scrutinized while 500 unsafe ones roll by.

 

[Mike]

We have annual federal DOT inspections.

That means nothing. You can go into just about any tire shop or tons of shade tree shops and get someone that is a licensed inspector. What do they do? They fill out the form and send you on your way because they don't want to spend time actually inspecting your equipment when they have other things they can make money on.

Any company can get their own guy certified, which could easily mean a guaranteed good bill of health on every truck and trailer.

 

[Electric Chicken]

That means nothing. You can go into just about any tire shop or tons of shade tree shops and get someone that is a licensed inspector. What do they do? They fill out the form and send you on your way because they don't want to spend time actually inspecting your equipment when they have other things they can make money on.

Any company can get their own guy certified, which could easily mean a guaranteed good bill of health on every truck and trailer.

I probably edited while you were quoting so read my full post this time. There's no good answer but making villains out of the good guys by having more feds wasting their time isn't it.

This is how you push out the good ones and only have bad ones left making the industry even worse.

 

[Mike]

I probably edited while you were quoting so read my full post this time. There's no good answer but making villains out of the good guys by having more feds wasting their time isn't it.

I read it now, and by doing what I said, your concerns would be addressed. Trucks that haven't been inspected in x amount of time will be red lighted and with a requirement to do so, would be inspected.

I don't want to be inspected either, that's the last thing I want to happen during the course of my day.

But I think the criteria I mentioned would clearly help. And the only people that can address that are those at FMCSA.

It's fine to be against something, such as bigger government. That said, when there are problems, solutions must be found and simply denying something that you are fundamentally against doesn't begin to address these problems.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I read it now, and by doing what I said, your concerns would be addressed. Trucks that haven't been inspected in x amount of time will be red lighted and with a requirement to do so, would be inspected.

I don't want to be inspected either, that's the last thing I want to happen during the course of my day.

But I think the criteria I mentioned would clearly help. And the only people that can address that are those at FMCSA.

It's fine to be against something, such as bigger government. That said, when there are problems, solutions must be found and simply denying something that you are fundamentally against doesn't begin to address these problems.

We should start with the Federal requirement to read speak and write English. Enforce that and a lot of our problems will go away.

 

[Mike]

We should start with the Federal requirement to read speak and write English. Enforce that and a lot of our problems will go away.

I completely agree, that would be another thing that would have to be enforced by FMCSA. It's another one of those things that simply don't get enforced.

In this industry, nothing is being enforced.

We have dispatch services that are starting up by the thousands, daily. Most seem as if they aren't even in the United States. I get dozens of phone calls every day from these people. The entire premise of these services are borderline illegal, but nothing is being done to stop them.

Which takes me back to the letter that was sent to FMCSA by this Senator. I think what he wants is actual enforcement of what is on the books, which should be what we all want.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I completely agree, that would be another thing that would have to be enforced by FMCSA. It's another one of those things that simply don't get enforced.

In this industry, nothing is being enforced.

We have dispatch services that are starting up by the thousands, daily. Most seem as if they aren't even in the United States. I get dozens of phone calls every day from these people. The entire premise of these services are borderline illegal, but nothing is being done to stop them.

Which takes me back to the letter that was sent to FMCSA by this Senator. I think what he wants is actual enforcement of what is on the books, which should be what we all want.

I think we need to start with the language problem and go from there. The language goes into culture and the attitude towards safety and would go a VERY long way into weeding out the bad apples.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Actually, you know what, I'm going to back up a little bit and agree with you now that the hamster is awake and on the wheel.

We need mass inspections to find out who is currently on the road, unable to speak, read, and write English as required, and/or has an egregiously unsafe truck mechanically and shut them and their carrier down. We also need simultaneous full stop issuing of licenses and DOT numbers to those who cannot comply with the English requirement...not just the drivers.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Random roadsides and scale house pull arounds are not enough, and would just be annoying to those in full compliance.

Make it a massive thing one time to clean up the roads.

 

[Electric Chicken]

You don't have to have OCD about your truck cosmetically but you damn well sure should mechanically.

Even that '88 Ford in my back yard puts some of these "new" Volvos and Cascadias I've seen in the hands of careless drivers and fleet owners to shame.

 

[Mike]

Actually, you know what, I'm going to back up a little bit and agree with you now that the hamster is awake and on the wheel.

We need mass inspections to find out who is currently on the road, unable to speak, read, and write English as required, and/or has an egregiously unsafe truck mechanically and shut them and their carrier down. We also need simultaneous full stop issuing of licenses and DOT numbers to those who cannot comply with the English requirement...not just the drivers.

This!

And before I seen this, the whole reading and communicating English got me busy on what might be my next article, or letter to FMCSA, or maybe both.

 

[Electric Chicken]

This!

And before I seen this, the whole reading and communicating English got me busy on what might be my next article, or letter to FMCSA, or maybe both.

You're welcome. Pay me staff salary. I'll take it in cash.

 

[Mike]

In the past 2-3 days, I have been driving through Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, then back out through New York, Pennsylvania, and into Ohio where I am stopped tonight. Through all of that, not one weigh station was open. Not one. It wasn't a matter of getting bypassed, they simply had nothing open. That used to not be the case. It's like the states are putting minimal resources toward commercial vehicle enforcement and quietly funneling any of that funding elsewhere.