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5 - Important DOT Clearinghouse FAQs

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  ·         Are there any changes in the existing drug and alcohol requirements? No, there are no changes in any existing requirements in the USDOT procedure for drug and alcohol testing. ·         Will the Clearinghouse follow the follow CDL results from state to state? In order to maintain the complete and accurate information about the drivers the clearinghouse will identify the driver who move frequently and have CDLs in different states and link those CDLs. ·         Who is authorized to use the Clearinghouse? 1.        CDL Drivers 2.       Employers (motor carriers, CMVs) 3.       Consortia/third-party administrators (C/TPAs) 4.      Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs) 5.       Medical Review Officers (MROs) 6.       Enforcement personnel   ·         How will authorized users sign up? All the authorized users need to register with the clearinghouse in order to acess the clearinghouse. ·         ARE DRIVERS REQUIRED TO SIGN UP? 1.        Drivers do

DOT Clearinghouse deadline is few weeks away

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  DOT Clearinghouse was launched by FMCSA which is an online database to collect information of CDL drivers regarding drug and alcohol testing violations and return-to-duty. The motive of implementing clearinghouse is to prevent the job hopping of CDL drivers having positive drug and alcohol test results, refusal to test or driver’s return-to-duty process. According to FMCSA, still many drivers and employers have not registered for the clearinghouse. Only few weeks are left to run the annual queries, a large volume on the last few days may overwhelmed the system. It could make difficult for the employers to meet their requirements before the deadline. Who failed to run these annual queries before the last date will get fined up to $2500 per driver. It is a mandatory if your business falls under FMCSA. Clearinghouse will contain information about positive drug and alcohol test results. Any refusal to the test or the driver’s return-to-duty information Registered drivers with c

Prepare for your DOT physical Test

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  In order to ensure your and public safety, you’ll need to pass the DOT physical test. It is required if you are a commercial vehicle driver. Unless you have a serious health issue, getting a DOT physical exam is quite easy and straightforward process. Here are some tips that will help you pass your DOT physical exam. ·         Avoid caffeine and Salt Avoid coffee or other beverages 24 hours before the exam. They will increase you blood pressure 20 times more than the normal value. Due to increased blood pressure you’ll be disqualified. Also make sure to cut the salt off from your diet a week before your exam.   ·         Be prepared While coming for the physical make sure you set your bag a night before with your prescribed medicines, prescription slip, eyeglasses (if you use), hearing machine (if you use), and with a full bladder. It will give you time the next day and also keep you calm automatically keep your blood pressure stable. ·         Avoid heavy meal In case to

Annual clearinghouse query deadline

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On Jan 6, 2020 the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse begin operation. It is mandatory for the motor carriers to look annually for the currently employed drivers. The clearinghouse query runs on a rolling twelve-month basis. For e.g. if any driver hired on March 6, 2020, the motor carrier needs to check the clearinghouse no later than March 5, 2021 and so on. Every motor carrier enrolled in DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing program need to login with clearinghouse account and run limited query on themselves annually. A limited query helps to determine whether individual driver’ clearinghouse has any resolved or unresolved drug and alcohol program violation. Limited query will not release any specific information about any violation details stored in clearinghouse data. In case if limited query reveals no record found for the driver, the motor carrier needs to run a “full query.” The full query will reveal test results of driver’s drug and alcohol testing, including return to duty. If

UCR Registration – 2021

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  UCR stands for Unified Carrier Registration, it is an accord between 48 states. UCR agreement was established by federal law in UCR Act and its fees is divided into all states. The act was established in 2005, requires interstate commerce, and other business subject to the Act, to submit annual fees based on fleet size. The money is a part of funding for state highway motor carrier registration and safety programs.     2021 – Registration Year The registration for UCR – 2021 has begun and payments are due on or before December 27, 2020. The enforcement is set to begin on January 1, 2020. It’s an annual permit that most motor carriers are obligated to pay if you have active DOT number regardless if you are using DOT number or not.   Registration Fees The fees will remain the same as it was in 2020. FLEET SIZE FEE 0-2 $59 3-5 $176 6-20 $351 21-100 $1,124 100

Grow your trucking business with these simple but important keypoints

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  Growing a successful trucking business in a market where lots of trucking industries are already resent and are well successful isn’t easy task. Hard work, Uniqueness and dedication is required to make your business successful. Without proper guidance and planning you can’t leave impact in the market. Taking right decisions and actions at the right time is all you need. Go through these points to understand how you can grow your trucking business. ·        Find profitable loads Its better to use load board at the starting to find trucking contacts with direct shippers. It’s hard to make relationships with the shippers but it’s also rewarding. The only way you can succeed in trucking industry. According to a research, truckers can earn $10,000 per month per truck using load boards and up to $20,000 per month per truck with shipping relationships. Double your revenue by building good relationships with shippers. ·        Is your business model correct? Having a planned business

Winter checklist for Truckers

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Winters are approaching in United States and with their arrival truckers have to be more careful while driving on or off road. Preparations should be done before going for a long haul to stay protected and safe. Truckers are smart enough to take care of their own but they must have a checklist of essential things which they can check at the end. This checklist must be taken care while going out: 1.        Heavy duty winter clothes – Extra warm jacket, gloves, socks, hats, and waterproof boots. 2.         Knee pads – They will helpful during truck maintenance, like changing tires  etc. 3.       Another pair of blankets – To protect you from frostbite 4.      Extra food and water – In time of emergency 5.       Flash lights – A flashlight with bigger focus than normal one. It will help you while checking your truck or changing tyre during night.     6.       Chains – Make sure your chains fit your tyres and must be of good quality. 7.       Diesel gel – In heavy cold your