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Idealease Safety Bulletin - History will Write that Truck Drivers are Unsung Heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic

May. 14 2021 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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The latest Idealease Safety Bulletin from May 14th, 2021, "History will write that truck drivers are unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic" is now available to read, share and download!  

Read the entire bulletin online here on idealease.com. Remember to sign up to have the weekly bulletin delivered straight to your inbox  for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!  

As always, you can access all past Idealease safety bulletins online at: https://www.idealease.com/safety-compliance/safety-bulletins

HISTORY WILL WRITE THAT TRUCK DRIVERS ARE UNSUNG HEROES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Truck drivers have been an underlying force in keeping the economy going during the pandemic by delivering goods, services, medical supplies and PPE, which increased their potential for contracting the virus while performing their jobs.  Be sure to take the time to recognize your drivers for their vital performance. 

One way is through Micro-Recognition, aka day-to-day recognition. 

Examples: note on the steering wheel, a text, communication over the ELD/Telematics, card in their mailbox, or anything that you can do to recognize employees quickly and easily.  It is the perfect way to support organizational values on a regular basis and make employees feel valued.  


DO YOU HAVE A DRIVER WITH OTHER OUTSIDE COMPENSATED WORK?

With ELD’s now in full swing, motor carriers feel that their hours-of-service violations have now been completely taken care of. 

One area of compliance that the ELD does NOT address:

  • A driver with other compensated work: 
    • Could have a significant impact on your company's liability exposure and compliance!
    • A dangerous liability situation that carriers can find themselves in is when a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle has another part-time job unbeknownst to the motor carrier.
    • It is not until there is an accident or an on-site compliance review that the motor carrier becomes aware of the situation and finds that the driver is in noncompliance with the hours-of-service regulations placing the motor carrier in a grave liability situation as the outside part-time work is compensated.  
    • As defined in CFR 395.2 (9) under definition of “On duty time”, performing any compensated work for a person who is not a motor carrier.  

How does the motor carrier protect itself from this exposure?

Have all of your drivers signed a statement upon hire indicating that they do not currently have any other employment that they are being compensated for?  

  • Include in the statement that if they incur compensation for any work outside of their employment with your company that they will immediately inform their supervisor and will be required to document the hours on their hours-of-service documentation, either a grid log or time record as “On Duty” time.  
  • Have the driver sign and date the statement and maintain in the driver’s qualification file.  Below is an example of the “Driver’s Certification of other Compensated Work Statement”.  

DOWNLOAD THE DRIVER CERTIFICATION FOR OTHER COMPENSATED WORK

CDL AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATION EXEMPTION EXPIRES MAY 31ST

If you have any drivers that were utilizing the COVID exemption for renewal of their CDL or medical recertification they need to renew them by May 31st as the exemption will expire. 

FMCSA MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD TO MEET

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Medical Review Board will meet via videoconference on May 19-20, 2021.  86 Fed. Reg. 23780 (May 4, 2021).  The MRB is an advisory committee to the FMCSA and provides the agency with input on current medical issues affecting commercial motor vehicle driver qualification and wellness.

At the meeting, the agenda will cover the following topics:

  • Finalize recommendations from the MRB’s April 2020 meeting on updates to the Medical Examiner Handbook;
  • Conduct a review of the medical assessment form for CMV drivers with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; and
  • Evaluate comments and the vision assessment form from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) ‘‘Qualifications of Drivers; Vision Standard’’ (86 FR 2344, January 12, 2021) for medical sufficiency to assist FMCSA in preparing its final rule to amend the vision standard for CMV drivers.

The meeting is open to the public, and there will be opportunity for public comment on the proceedings.

Click it or Ticket! National Seat Belt Enforcement Mobilization happening May 17th-June6th

Seat belts have been proven to save lives.  This important campaign focuses on safety education, law enforcement support and strong laws to help save lives.  Learn statistics, watch videos and more at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/click-it-or-ticket 


May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

  • Part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's comprehensive motorcycle safety program 
  • Access important resources and information: www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/motorcycles 

*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.