Close

Commercial Vehicle Investigations

Compliance Review

Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers in the Compliance Review detachments conduct investigations on Interstate and Intrastate carriers. These investigations are called Compliance Reviews (CRs) and are triggered based on Safety Status (SafeStat) data. A CR is a review of a motor carrier’s records and documents related to drivers and vehicles, as well as general operating procedures and record-keeping requirements. There are two types of CR investigations that can take place: a “focused” review that concentrates on one area of compliance, and a full investigation that analyzes the carrier’s compliance with all aspects of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) regulations. Currently full compliance reviews result in a Safety Fitness determination of one of three possible “safety ratings:”

1. Satisfactory
2. Conditional
3. Unsatisfactory

CRs are intended to provide information and evaluate a carrier’s safety performance and regulatory compliance. CRs are conducted at the carrier’s principal place of business.

Any Compliance Review questions may be directed to: CVEB Headquarters (509) 838-9411.

New Entrant
Safety Audit

Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers in the New Entrant detachment conduct investigations on Interstate carriers who have received a USDOT number within the past 12 months. These investigations are called Safety Audits (SAs). A SA is a review of a motor carrier’s records and documents related to drivers and vehicles, as well as general operating procedures and record-keeping requirements. The SA is designed to verify that a carrier has basic safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs), and related record-keeping requirements. SAs are conducted at the carrier’s principal place of business, or electronically, by submitting relevant documents to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) online, or via mail or fax. SAs result in a pass or fail, and are not rated.

Any New Entrant Safety Audit questions may be directed to: CVEB Headquarters (360) 596-4171.