If you have received a compromised safety rating and are unable to sort the problem out, this article maybe helpful for you.
What is a conditional and an unsatisfactory rating?
A motor carrier with a conditional safety rating has insufficient safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with the standards.
A motor carrier with an unsatisfactory rating is generally forbidden from running a commercial motor vehicle. The FMCSA will issue an order putting its interstate operations out of service if a proposed unsatisfactory safety rating becomes final.
Examples of how that rating is issued
When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) notices a negative safety pattern from a motor carrier, it launches a compliance review (CR). The carrier is given a safety rating based on the compliance review: satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. The following are just some examples of why compromised ratings are issued:
- Repeated hours of service (HOS) violations
- Roadside inspection reports of faulty equipment
- Drug and alcohol violations
What you can do to fix the rating
If you’ve taken the necessary steps to correct what triggered your “Conditional” or “Unsatisfactory” rating, you can request a safety upgrade at any time. The following steps are helpful in fixing the rating:
- Submitting a Safety Management Plan (SMP): This should provide an explanation of why the violations occurred, what steps will be taken to fix the problem, and how those steps will lead to long-term implementation.
- Corrective Actions Should be documented: what you have improved to maintain the safety levels. Document the disciplinary steps and provide evidence that the recorded action was carried out. You will need to go into more detail about the steps you’ve taken to meet the “Satisfactory” mark, depending on the severity of the violations.
- Send all documented actions to the FMCSA for review: Anything you send to the FMCSA must be in writing. It’s important that you complete the first two steps correctly; otherwise, based on your safety ranking, your business may be shut down.
- ALWAYS retain a copy of all documentation for your records.
If you don’t fix the rating, does it matter?
Yes, it will definitely impact your overall revenue, and the loss might be up to 40% in most cases. Therefore, it is critical to take this matter seriously and improve your safety rating. Additionally, you will likely see a significant increase in your insurance premiums if your carrier doesn’t cancel your coverage.
You can try to do the steps yourself, but to make things professional and obtain the desired results, you should look for a professional service provider to manage the process for you. Why? You will be out over 40% of your revenue until the rating is improved!
Our experts can handle any type of safety rating issue and will resolve the matter promptly and professionally.