On December 12, 2015 the Unified Registration System (URS) began its implementation process of retiring old systems and unifying the regulatory structure for the industry. The goal of this new system is to replace all of the FMCSA's current registration databases with one unified registration process that also acts as a main source of data. This system will be fully phased in by the April 14th, 2017 deadline and requires full compliance by all before then. 

Truck drivers are amongst the hardest working people committing their lives to tackling one of the toughest jobs in America. So, with Driver Appreciation Week fast approaching, you may be looking for ways to honor your valued road warriors. In reality, there aren't enough ways to thank your drivers for all they do, but here is a list of 10 ways to celebrate this important week. 

The “Driver Coercion” rule has changed the focus for the FMCSA - it has caused them to move complaints from the bottom of their list to the top. While following up on these complaints they may not be finding the coercion claimed, but after going through the process they are finding issues that are causing conditional ratings and fines. It is essential that you do not let your guard down and remain focused on having the processes and procedures in place to ensure you are compliant. 

Congress has stepped up to help the trucking industry, yet again. Multiple transportation-related issues were addressed via the FAST Act, and now important action regarding the 34-hour restart rule has been taken as part of the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill. 

On December 4, 2015 President Obama signed into law the latest highway bill, Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act. Later that same day, the U.S. Department of Transportation's FMCSA released the following statement:

"As of December 4, 2015, pursuant to the FAST Act of 2015, much of the information previously available on the FMCSA website related to property carriers' compliance and safety performance will no longer be displayed publicly."

On November 30, 2015 the FMCSA published a new rule, Prohibiting Coercion of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers, or the driver coercion rule. The rule gives commercial truck and bus drivers additional protection from being coerced into violating federal motor carrier safety regulations (FMCSRs) and will go into effect on January 29, 2016.

Meet Jeff Swan: Transportation Compliance Specialist, Former State Patrol Officer 

If 34 years with the Wisconsin State Patrol was an education, 3 months with HNI has been a revelation for Jeff Swan.  

Jeff, HNI's newest gamechanger, retired from the Wisconsin State Patrol in 2014. His extensive DOT experience has taught him an important lesson: drivers often don’t realize the impact that their behavior has on the company they work for.  Bridging the gap between the driver and the trucking company is Jeff’s favorite Wicked Problem to solve. 

Within the last couple of years, there have been some changes with regards to what needs to be included in your driver qualification files.  Many people struggle with determining what truly needs to be in the files and what does not.  They also get different opinions from different individuals (HR professionals, insurance reps, auditors, etc.)