FMCSA: Off-site audits to become the new norm for fleets

“While FMCSA did not have COVID-19 in mind when they launched the off-site auditing program, the success of the program to determine carrier safety was quickly realized,” J.J. Keller senior editor Daren Hansen said.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in May that it would begin the use of off-site compliance reviews for motor carriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This action was not unexpected because the FMCSA’s use of off-site audits had increased over 300% between 2018 and 2019. As the number of fleets that are audited remotely grows, so does the need for guidance on how to prepare and successfully pass an off-site audit.

To equip motor carriers, J.J. Keller is offering a free 28-page download, Preparing for a DOT Off-Site Audit – Understanding FMCSA’s New Approach to Compliance Audits. Written by J. J. Keller senior editor Daren Hansen, this guide for fleet professionals explains why motor carriers are selected for off-site audits, which documents the FMCSA will audit, and how to comply with audit requests. Additional guidance is included for new entrants, along with an assessment tool to determine the risk of an audit.

“While FMCSA did not have COVID-19 in mind when they launched the off-site auditing program, the success of the program to determine carrier safety was quickly realized,” Hansen noted. “With FMCSA’s new auditing procedures in place, it’s important that motor carriers understand the serious nature of an off-site audit. The agency has the power to assign safety ratings and take additional investigative steps they feel are warranted based on findings from the off-site audit.”

J. J. Keller is also offering free access to a new 30-minute on-demand webcast around the topic, Surviving an Off-Site Audit, also led by Hansen.

“Prevention is always the best cure, and in the case of off-site audits, fleets have the power to reduce their risk of being audited,” stated Tom Reader, director of ELD marketing at J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. “This free resource provides more than guidance on how to pass an off-site audit — it offers best practices and proactive steps that management can take now to avoid the interruption of an audit in their future.”

This article was originally posted by American Trucker.