This one is tough. Because the driver should know if they are properly qualified to operate the type of vehicle that they are driving.
But….
It is ultimately the company’s responsibility to make sure that the driver has the proper qualifications.
With that being said the financial risk for the company varies depending on the situation.
If you have the driver operate a tanker vehicle without a tanker endorsement the chances of a fine are lower than if they are operating hazmat or CMV carrying passengers.
Let’s say you have them operate a propane truck where Hazmat and Tankers endorsements are required and they have the Hazmat endorsement but not the tankers endorsement. This chance of a fine is less in an audit situation.
On the other hand, if you have them operating a school bus without having the S endorsement then they are going to throw the book at you and it could cost you up to $25K per occurrence that they operated the vehicle.
This one is really hard to truly determine the true financial risk. It is 100% situation-dependent.
If you get involved in litigation with a driver that did not have the proper endorsements.
Then…..
You guessed it, open up your checkbook because you just lost the case.
Insurance doesn’t like companies that don’t follow the rules. And therefore they won’t cover the incident.
As for your personal risk. Again it is 100% situation based.
If you have a non-hazmat driver haul a load of TNT then you are assuming a HUGE risk. Or if you have a driver haul a load of rafters over a mountain you are assuming a HUGE risk.
Here is how I would classify the risk.
Financial Risk for an audit: Medium to High to Extreme depending on the situation
Financial Risk in litigation: High to Extreme
Personal Risk: Medium to High to Extreme depending on the situation
How to Fix Risk 5, Operating A CDL Rig Without Having The Right Endorsements (Tanker, Hazmat, Etc…)
This one is super simple to fix.
Make sure that before you put a driver into a vehicle they have the right endorsements on their license.
If they don’t have the proper endorsements then have them go take the tests at the DMV to get them added to their CDL.
Things happen and we all miss things.
That’s just part of life.
We get it.
To be 100% honest there is really no way to fix this problem if a driver gets into an accident or receives an inspection.
Where you fix it is on the front side.
No one likes being reactive. We all want to be proactive. Finding solutions to problems before they become an issue.
That’s part of the reason in DOT Docs we created a special section specifically for endorsements. And what type of driver you are hiring.
Then the system is smart enough that if they don’t have the proper credentials, then it will show you that they are out of compliance.
How sweet is that?
Super sweet I know, I built it! lol.
Anyways…..
That is just one way that helps you to be proactive to save you time and money.
The other thing that ONLY our system does is track hazmat drivers’ expiration dates.
Did you know that a CDL might not be expired, but a Hazmat drives background check could be expired? Or even their written test could expire.
CRAZY right?
Well, we’ve got you covered there too. We track that information and then use it to calculate compliance!
That is crazy cool!
And SUPER proactive.
The best thing about our system is that you get a dedicated CCP (Customer Care Professional) that knows your business.
So let’s say that you are a hydro-vac company, and you only have 2 class A non-tanker rigs but you need every driver to have a tankers endorsement.
When you hire a new driver and shoot over their contact information to your dedicated CCP. They are going to help you get your driver set up RIGHT the first time. And when they see that they are missing their N (tanker) endorsement.
They not only let them know that the driver knows that they need to go talk to their supervisor before driving any company vehicles.
Our team communicates with your team so that the leadership in your company knows that that driver needs to go take the written test at the DMV.
If it’s more complicated than just a written test at the DMV our CCPs help the drivers and the company figure out a few different solutions to help get them through the process, Quick, Fast, and in a hurry.
Can you say, OVER DELIVER!
If it is one of those endorsements that require ELDT (Entry Level Driver Training), we’ve got you covered too!
The Eclipse DOT team has your back.
Our ELDT program covers everything from Hazmat to school buses, to passengers, to upgrading your CDL, to getting your CDL for the first time.
Our in-house trainers can do it quick, fast, and in a hurry.
If you train lots of drivers every year. We can help you there too.
Our team can help your very own ELDT program where you train your drivers. When we get done helping you get it set up all you have to do is start training your drivers!
It’s really that simple.
We have talked about the EASY button. And boy is this the easy button at its finest.
If you want to make 1000% sure that you are doing it right, we can help you. Not only that, but our team will also make it so simple you will wonder why you spent so much time researching everything and not working.
With our team, all you have to do is follow the simple easy-to-use frameworks that we give you and you are all set.
Those are just a few of the ways that help your company to nip issues like these in the bud.
What are you waiting for?
Reach out to our team today, info@eclipse-dot.com to learn exactly how we can help you.
