DOT Inspection in Beaver Dam, KY

At Ohio County Truck and Trailer Repair in Beaver Dam, Kentucky, we have qualified DOT inspectors available to perform your highly detailed, mandatory inspection.

There Are 6 Primary DOT Inspection Levels

Level I

North American Standard Inspection — the inspector thoroughly checks the driver’s documents. Additionally, the inspector looks for alcohol, hazardous materials/hazmat violations and recreational drugs.

Driver documentation inspected includes:

• The driver’s daily log displaying his or her hours of service.
• A medical card and waiver.
• Driver’s license.
• Vehicle and Driver Inspection Report.

If the inspector is also evaluating the vehicle, some of the accessories and parts inspected include:

• Brake system — components inspected include: the parking brakes, service brakes, brake hose, brake drums/rotors, low-pressure warning device, electric brakes, vacuum systems, brake tubing, tractor protection valve, air compressor and hydraulic brakes.
• Exhaust system — checking for issues related to exhaust leaking into the truck’s driving or sleeping compartment.
• Coupling system — the inspector evaluates the fifth wheels, safety devices, saddle mounts, rails, pintle hooks, towbar/drawbar eye and towbar/drawbar tongue.
• Fuel system — looking to see if there are any leaks, the fuel tank must not be loose and the filler cap must be in place.
• Frame — the inspector checks the clearance of the tires and wheels, the adjustable axle assemblies and the frame members.
• Steering mechanism — to be considered safe, this mechanism must be free of play. The Inspector checks the front axle bean, steering column, steering gear box, power steering, pitman arm, drag links, tie rod, ball and socket joints, and nuts.
• Tires — all tires except for the ones on the power units and those on the steering axles.
• Windshield wipers — there should be no damaged or missing parts that would render them ineffective.
• Rims and Wheels — checking the slide ring or lock, fasteners, wheels and rims and fasteners.
• Safe loading practices — the vehicle must be loaded in such a way as to ensure that the spare tire or any other part of the dunnage or load cannot fall out onto the roadway. To prevent the cargo from shifting, the driver must secure it well.
• Suspension — the inspector examines the axles to see if there are any cracks, loose, missing or broken U-bolts, spring hangers or any other axle position parts.

Level II

Walk-Around Inspection of the Driver and the Vehicle   

The Level II inspection is nearly identical to level I, however, the inspector does not evaluate any parts of the vehicle that require physically crawling underneath the vehicle.

Level III

The Inspector Evaluates the Driver

Inspector Examines:

• Driver’s license.
• Driver’s daily log.
• Medical card.
• Seatbelt.
• Driver’s incident history.
• Driver and Vehicle Inspection Report.
•  Hazmat requirements.

Level IV

Special Inspection

The Level IV vehicle inspection is a one-time examination designed to take a closer look at the vehicle’s features. A Level IV inspection is usually performed to refute a claim that was made about the vehicle to show support for or to refute a supposed trend or study.

Level V

Vehicle Inspection without the Driver Present

This inspection includes an evaluation of all the vehicle components listed in Level I.

Level VI

For Radioactive Shipments, an Enhanced NAS Inspection May Be Necessary

DOT regulations went into effect on January 1, 2005. Since that time, all CMVs that are transporting highway route controlled quantities (HRCQ) of radioactive material must pass the North American Standard Inspection Level VI.

Level VI inspection:

• Radiological requirements.
• Enhancements to Level I.
• Radiological shipment inspection.
• Inspection procedures.
• Enhanced out of service criteria.

Possible Outcomes of DOT Inspection

No violations are present — the driver receives a CSA decal. For three months this decal keeps the driver from being pulled over for another inspection (unless a problem is noticed)

Violations found, but they are not serious — even though the vehicle remains on the roadway, these violations may count against the driver or the carrier. These violations can negatively affect Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) scores. Following a violation, all repairs must be completed within 15 days. Once the issue is fixed, the carrier is required to send FMCSA a report stating that the violations were addressed and the vehicle is fixed.

Serious Violations — the driver or the vehicle is placed out-of-service (OOS). An OOS driver or vehicle cannot operate until all violations are corrected and fully documented.

At Ohio County Truck and Trailer Repair we can perform your DOT inspection and, if a violation is present, have one of our experienced diesel mechanics address the problem right away. If you need your annual DOT inspection, contact Ohio County Truck and Trailer Repair, LLC at 1 (270) 256-9196 today. We are located at 3399 Liberty Rd. in Beaver Dam, Kentucky.