5 Things to Know About Off-site DOT Audit

May 21, 2020

  1. Between 2010 and 2018, off-site compliance audits were conducted by FMCSA investigators in only 10 States
  2. In FY 2019, off-site audits were performed in 48 States. And now, in FY 2020, FMCSA investigators in all 50 States are performing off-site audits.
  3. In the first 7 months of FY 2020 (Oct 2019 – Apr 2020), the total number of off-site audits is 63% higher than for all of FY 2019 (1,655 vs 1,013). COVID-19, and FMCSA’s work-from-home order, has accelerated the trend toward more off-site audits.
  4. FMCSA investigators use special record sampling procedures for off-site compliance audits that differ from procedures used during on-site audits.
  5. Off-site compliance audits never result in the assignment of a carrier safety rating, but can and do result in fines and penalties for certain violations. In some cases, however, if acute violations are discovered, off-site audits can be converted to comprehensive investigations, which may result in the assignment of a safety rating.