Life, Death and your Business

Do not wait for accidents or federal regulators
to find out if you meet safety regulations. 

People should not have to die in order to enjoy the comforts of a contemporary society.  We take for granted that each day we get on the road to commute to work we are also sharing the road with numerous trucks which are transporting the goods and services we need to keep that society moving.  The maintenance of those trucks and the conduct of those drivers could mean the difference between life and death on the open road.  This week I want to share some news you may have missed this week and how that relates to our company.  It could be a matter of life and death.

On April 2, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or FMCSA shut down an Illinois trucking company calling them an “imminent hazard to public safety.”  The company in question was involved in a fatal accident on January 27th and less than ninety days later were shut down by the federal government.  The department of transportation took such swift action thanks to the attention of a United States Senator, Dick Durbin, and the death of an Illinois State Police trooper.

Investigators found all sorts of malfeasance; including doctored log books, poor safety records and drivers with numerous traffic violations.  Confronted with such a clear case of safety violations the federal government had no choice but to shut the operator down.  What does this mean to you the consumer?  It means that taking the word of your staff that they are following safety procedures and operating correctly is a recipe to garner the attention of federal regulators.  You can take your chances or scrupulously document your business in case of a federal investigation.

This is where we at E₃ systems can help.  We created a solution known as Tony to make it possible for you to document your maintenance for all your vehicles.  Not only do we document the work but we also make it possible to send reminders via e-mail so that when a vehicle is up for maintenance you can take action right away.  This means that when FMCSA starts investigating your business you have the documentation to prove that you have been correctly maintaining your fleet.  That is a form of peace of mind no amount of money can purchase.  Contact us today and we will show you how we can help.

The federal government acted swiftly when confronted with a trucking company which did not make safety its primary concern.  Confronted with an organization which did not maintain its vehicles and did not obey regulations regarding driver rest periods, the Department of Transportation had no choice but to shut that organization down.  You could be next if you do not keep correct logs of your safety and maintenance information.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Until next time.