What FMCSA Should Fix After the Clearinghouse Loophole and What Carriers Should Watch
By now, most people in the trucking industry have at least heard about the Brandon Blackburn case. What started as a shocking headline quickly became something more serious: a reminder that even a federal compliance system can have weak points if the right controls are not in place. According to the FreightWaves investigation, Blackburn was […]
How to Audit Driver Files After the FMCSA Clearinghouse Loophole
The Brandon Blackburn case has put a lot of carriers in an uncomfortable position. For many, the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has been treated as a reliable checkpoint in the hiring and compliance process. Run the query, review the status, and move forward. That has been the standard approach. But after the FreightWaves reporting […]
When Compliance Isn’t Enough: What the Brandon Blackburn Case Should Be Teaching Every Carrier
Most carriers operate from the same assumption: if you follow FMCSA requirements, run the right checks, and keep your files in order, you are doing what the law expects. In most cases, that is a reasonable way to think about compliance. It is procedural, it is measurable, and it gives carriers a framework for making […]
6 DOT Drug Tests CDL Drivers May Be Required to Take
Drug and alcohol testing violations are among the most common findings in FMCSA safety investigations. Between 2022 and 2026, Part 382 violations accounted for roughly one in four of all citations issued during carrier audits, with failures in pre-employment testing, random testing, and post-accident testing topping the list. The first step in preventing these violations […]
The April 30 IFTA Deadline Is Coming: Are You Ready?
The end of Q1 means one thing for motor carriers operating across state lines: your first quarterly IFTA fuel tax filing of the year is due April 30. Whether you’ve been through this process a dozen times or you’re relatively new to interstate operations, this is one deadline you don’t want to miss. Let’s walk […]
How to Create a Compliant DOT Driver Qualification File: A Step-by-Step Checklist
If you’ve ever scrambled to pull together driver files right before an audit, you know the stress. Missing documents, expired certificates, and incomplete applications may seem like small gaps, but they can cost thousands in fines and put your authority at risk. And while there are a number of documents to create and collect, building a compliant driver qualification […]
What Carriers Need to Know About FMCSA Clearinghouse Violations in 2025
The FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse will mark its sixth anniversary this January, yet compliance problems remain as widespread as ever. Despite years of warnings and training, Clearinghouse violations have ranked among the most common FMCSA audit findings for the past five years. In a September webinar hosted by U.S. Compliance Services, compliance experts Alex Elias and Steve Harz broke […]
19% of FMCSA Audit Violations Are Preventable with MVR Monitoring
How closely are you paying attention to driver safety? The FMCSA has strict compliance requirements designed to protect the nation’s roadways, but those rules alone don’t guarantee that your drivers are always operating safely and compliantly. Case in point: nearly one in five audit violations is entirely preventable with an MVR Monitoring program. While these […]
1 in 5 Roadside Inspections Put Motor Carriers Out of Service in 2025
What’s the biggest compliance challenge facing carriers in 2026? If fiscal year 2025 data is any indication, it’s avoiding the roadside inspection that puts your driver out of service. Almost 1 in 5 inspections (19.98%) ended with an OOS order this past year—and the problem is getting worse. With fiscal year data through September 26, […]
Understanding Your DOT Recordkeeping Requirements
Missing paperwork has become one of the most expensive problems in trucking. While carriers focus on driver safety and vehicle maintenance, documentation violations quietly pile up during DOT audits — often catching even well-run operations off guard. So far this year, paperwork-related violations have made up about 22% of all audit violations. Knowing exactly what […]