Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1217976
Page 5 ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION MARCH 4, 2020 Continued on page 8 Driver Inspection Reports…continued from page 1 You may be thinking, "But why? Our vehicles are small, and we don't drive them over state lines. How can rules about CMV inspections apply to me?" Your question is understandable. Federal law typically only applies to larger trucks. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) requires that all commercial motor vehicles—defined as any vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce that has a gross vehicle weight rating, or gross vehicle weight, or gross combination weight, of 10,001 pounds (4,536 kg) or more—be inspected routinely. It doesn't address smaller vehicles unless they are transporting more than 8 people for compensation or carrying hazardous waste. However, state laws differ both in their definitions of vehicles and in what they require with respect to inspections. Apart from state laws, insurance companies usually insist on good safety practices including inspections. And PSAI guidelines as well as common sense suggest that it is just a good idea to conduct daily pre- and post-trip inspections on all your company vehicles that have been, or will be, in service that day. So, let's take a look at what your inspection program should include and why. Who Reports When Pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections should be an important part of a driver's daily routine and time needs to be allotted for their completion. They are essential to keeping vehicles in good condition while ensuring road safety and fleet compliance with relevant laws and standards. Although your company may employ mechanics and other technicians who are responsible for vehicle maintenance, their work is separate from the daily vehicle inspections. The person actually controlling and driving the vehicle should conduct a vehicle inspection at all of the following times: • At the beginning of the day, before work begins • At the end of the day when driving is finished • When a driver changes vehicles in the middle of the day • When a new driver takes over a vehicle in the middle of the day For companies subject to federal law, DVIRs must be kept on-site three months from the date the report is submitted. This, however, is a minimum. The PSAI encourages companies to keep their daily inspection reports for as long as they keep maintenance and service records. That is usually one year from the day the maintenance occurs, or six months from the day the vehicle leaves the company's control through sale, trade, or scrap. The Inspection Process A DVIR includes several basic steps, including the inspection, identification of defects, signing the report, and corrective action. • Step 1: Inspect the Vehicle. During an inspection, a driver will perform a circle check of the vehicle, checking under the hood, walking around to look for defects or damage, and starting the vehicle to test the lights and brakes, among other things. If your company lacks forms for this, the PSAI has a sample inspection document in its resource library. Nowadays, some inspection reports are electronic which makes the process even easier. Just be sure to check that the right things are clicked and you have a quality-control process if using