Prepare for an In-House or Onsite Audit

To prepare for an onsite inspection, it is recommended that you regularly conduct in-house audits as a practice run. During an onsite audit, inspectors may request a wide variety of documents (for more information on audit requirements, refer to guidance published by your regional regulatory agency (for example, in the United States, the FMCSA). To avoid citations resulting from improper log keeping, conduct an in-house audit to ensure logs meet the required standards.

An example document list provided by the FMCSA in its New Entrant Safety Audit Guide includes:

Document Type	Document
Driver	Driver List Driver’s License Driver’s Records of Duty Status (eRODS) and Supporting Documentation (as far back as 6 months) Driver’s Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Medical Certificate
Vehicle	Vehicle List Vehicle Inspection (as far back as 12 months) Hazardous materials (HM) Shipping Papers
Carrier/Programmatic	Proof of Insurance Drug & Alcohol Program Accident Register

Before undergoing an audit, perform the following activities to ensure the required information has been entered for compliance.

• Confirm your carrier settings: Ensure that your Carrier information is up to date in Settings > HOS/DVIR. This ensures your Carrier Name, Address, and DOT Number will all publish correctly when you transfer your logs to the inspection agency.

• Confirm your drivers’ settings: Ensure that all driver accounts are updated with all the required information:

  • Driver Name

  • Driver’s License Number

  • Driver’s License State (ie: CA, TX, CT etc)

• Review your HOS and DVIR Reports: As a motor carrier, you are required to maintain at least 6 months of eRODS and 12 months of vehicle inspection reports, including DVIRs. As you prepare for your audit, stay diligent about monitoring violations, including having drivers certify their logs and responding to vehicle defect reports.

When you are ready to send your logs, proceed to Transfer logs for a DOT in-house audit.