Most maintenance violations are a direct result of poor PTI and/or lack of en-route checks. I would caution the rewrite of a DVIR unless it is to add items. Removal of certain items would actually invalidate the form as a “true” DVIR. Remember, § 396.11: Driver vehicle inspection report(s) outlines what must be checked. Adding items is fine but be sure to not remove any of the required items.
When I was GM for a Baltimore trucking company, we use to hide items on the truck and reward the drivers when these tokens were found in an appropriate time. Drivers who failed to find their hidden tokens were reprimanded. As usual, positive reinforcement worked better than negative.
The main issue I find as a Safety Consultant is that companies just do not take any of this seriously. They are operational driven and safety takes a back seat. Small companies are clueless as to the regulations and feel they do not pertain to them. Still many companies that I visit have no idea that the CSA site exists or what the numbers mean.
There is much more education to be had in the industry as a whole. Auto fail is not the answer but if we were move to a system where you had be certified to obtain your DOT number; I believe we would see change. The “I didn’t know” would be gone. You have to pass a test to be an electrician, plumber and so forth. Why not do so to be the holder of a DOT number? It is a privileged to have one and not a right. It is about safety; then let’s make it so.
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