The TruckComply blog
Plain-English guides to the FMCSA rules small fleets get audited on — what's required, where carriers slip, and how to stay ahead of it.
- Driver files
The Driver Qualification File Checklist: What FMCSA Expects in Every DQF
A plain-English walkthrough of 49 CFR 391.51: the documents every driver qualification file needs, when each one expires, how long to keep it, and the gaps auditors find most often.
· 7 min read
- Hours of service
Hours of Service Explained: The 11-, 14- and 60/70-Hour Rules, With Worked Examples
How the property-carrying hours-of-service limits in 49 CFR Part 395 actually work day to day — the driving limit, the 14-hour window, the 30-minute break and the weekly cap — with worked examples of the violations auditors find most.
· 9 min read
- Drug & alcohol
Clearinghouse Queries Explained: Pre-Employment, Annual, Limited and Full
When you have to query the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, the difference between limited and full queries, the 24-hour rule, and how to keep annual queries from slipping.
· 6 min read
- Vehicles
DVIRs: What Drivers Must Report and What Carriers Must Do Next
The driver vehicle inspection report rules in 49 CFR 396.11 and 396.13: the 11 items every report covers, when a report isn't required, mechanic certification, and the 3-month retention rule.
· 6 min read
- Hiring
Hiring a CDL Driver: The Compliance Steps, in Order
Everything FMCSA requires between a driver’s application and their first dispatch — application, MVRs, previous employers, Clearinghouse, pre-employment drug test, medical certification and road test — in the order that keeps you compliant.
· 7 min read
- Driver files
DOT Medical Certificates: Expiration, the National Registry and the End of Paper Cards
How long a DOT medical certificate lasts, why short-term certificates catch fleets out, how electronic medical certification changes verification for CDL drivers, and how to track it all.
· 6 min read
- Drug & alcohol
Random Drug and Alcohol Testing: 2026 Rates, Consortiums and Owner-Operator Rules
What 49 CFR 382.305 requires for random testing: the 2026 FMCSA rates, how selection must work, what a consortium does (and doesn’t) do for you, and the mistakes that fail audits.
· 7 min read
- Hours of service
ELD Compliance for Small Fleets: Unassigned Driving, Edits and Supporting Documents
Having an ELD installed isn’t the same as being compliant. The carrier-side responsibilities auditors check: unassigned driving time, log edits, supporting documents, malfunctions and record retention.
· 7 min read
- Vehicles
Annual DOT Vehicle Inspections: What 396.17 Requires and How to Stay Current
Every CMV needs a periodic inspection at least once every 12 months. Here’s what the inspection covers, who is qualified to do it, what has to be in the vehicle, and how long to keep the records.
· 6 min read
- Audits
How to Prepare for a DOT Audit: A Practical Checklist for Small Fleets
What FMCSA looks at in a new entrant safety audit or compliance investigation, the violations that cause automatic failure, and how to get your records ready before the call comes.
· 8 min read
- Audits
Got a Conditional Safety Rating? What It Means and How to Get It Upgraded
What Satisfactory, Conditional and Unsatisfactory ratings mean, why a Conditional rating costs you business even though you can keep operating, and how to request an upgrade under 49 CFR 385.17.
· 6 min read
- Audits
The DOT Accident Register: What Counts as a Recordable Crash and What to Keep
49 CFR 390.15 requires every motor carrier to keep an accident register. Here’s the DOT definition of an accident, what the register must contain, how long to keep it, and how it connects to post-accident testing.
· 5 min read
Find out where your fleet stands before an auditor does
Six quick questions on driver files, HOS, testing, and vehicle maintenance. No sign-up required.