The Problem With DOT 'Blitz Week'

Did you survive DOT Blitz Week? Sorry, I mean ‘International Road-check 2018’. Did a driver working with your company happen to get pulled over, inspected, and cited with a violation? Don’t forget to sign it and send it back in! There could be penalties if you fail to do so…

If you’re reading this then you are most likely involved in the trucking industry and have dealt with multiple ‘blitz weeks’ over the past few years. Every June the NSC (National Safety Council), DOT (Department of Transportation), and CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) team up to ensure that for a select period (usually a few days during the first week) there is a heightened presence of DOT officers on the road. These officers are on alert to ensure that as many commercial vehicles as possible are pulled into checkpoints for Level 1 roadside inspections. This inspection is a “37-step procedure that includes an examination of both driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness”, according to the CVSA website (you can find more information here: CVSA Road-check 2018). 

[Just a quick note, here: I’m not sure why (if anyone knows, please feel free to comment below) but as you can see in the picture accompanying this post week 4 is actually ‘driving week’ for National Safety Month, and yet the international road-check is usually done during the first week of June.]

If you’re one of those people reading this that is familiar with dealing with these ‘international road-checks’, then you know that it’s a difficult task to make it through this week with zero violations. There are usually two outcomes: zero vehicles are pulled over OR a vehicle(s) is pulled over and receives violations. I mention this because regarding the latter, usually the DOT officers performing these checks are hard-pressed to issue a passing inspection. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some trucks/drivers that pass these inspections with flying colors. However, trucks that are pulled over that would ‘normally’ pass via that particular DOT officers standards do not because of ‘no/discharged/unsecured fire extinguisher’ (violation code 393.95(a) for the regulation experts out there) or ‘upper rear retro-reflective sheeting or reflex reflector requirements for vehicles….’ (393.11).

I mention the above because we all know and understand that most DOT officers would typically pass a truck with the above violations so long as the driver is polite, the truck is operational/safe to the naked eye, and the driver's logs are on point. As someone in operations I can certainly appreciate this as it helps our safety rating and my stress levels! However, I think it shows a very large issue in this industry involving the color gray.

I get it. We’re all people just trying to get through each day as best we can and as safe as we can (the goal being to make it to the next day!). I also get that John Smith the owner-operator could probably use a break on his reflector tape violation because he has bills to pay and a family to feed. However, if we, as an industry, truly want to be safe, I think that we need to have the mentality of ‘International Road-check Week’ or ‘DOT Blitz Week’ 100% of the time, not .0082% of the time (yes I did the math). 

If you are a driver looking for a new professional Class-A driving job and are looking to be respected and paid like you deserve, please contact Truckers America Corp. at 877-789-5778 ext. 2. As a Truckers America driver, you get paid a salary plus additional bonuses. That’s it. There’s no catch. Most of our positions are typically home daily or home every other day (layovers). However, we do pay our OTR drivers quite well if you’re looking to stay out over-the-road. Call and speak with us so that you can make an informed decision. We hope to be working with you soon!