Clearinghouse, EPN Service
Clearinghouse
All employers who operate interstate and intrastate commercial vehicles must query the Clearinghouse for any current or prospective employee who is planning to operate a CMV on public roads. Employers are also required to query the Clearinghouse annually for each driver currently employed.
EPN Program
In addition, the California DMV requires all employers of CMV drivers to participate in the EPN (Employer Pull Notice) Program. Carriers must have an up-to-date EPN report in each of their driver’s file.
What is Employer Pull Notice?
Companies based in California or have terminals in California and employ drivers that are operating with a CDL are REQUIRED to acquire an EPN Account through the CA DMV. An owner operator who is running under his/her own name (not as an LLC or Corporation) is exempt from registering an account.
Our Services Can Save You Time & Money
At VLC, we help our clients navigate the ever-changing requirements and complexities of compliance. We are an experienced Agency who will help you with all licensing, permits, driver, and fleet reporting requirements. We help you focus on your business, and can take the headache out of the compliance and reporting aspect.
VLC and the FMCSA Clearinghouse
As a third-party administrator for FMCSA means that VLC can run queries on your drivers and new prospects (as required by the FMCSA) through the Clearinghouse.
We know that navigating through Federal Websites is not always the most user-friendly experience. VLC has set up many accounts for both Companies and Drivers. We can navigate through out the application process with ease on your behalf.
VLC and the EPN Program
Companies are required to keep the most updated Driver Record in their employee’s driver files.
A Driver Record will reflect:
- DL#
- Individual characteristics (height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc.)
- DL Expiration date
- Potential Safety Red Flags: Convictions, Accidents, Suspension. Revocations, Failures to Appear
Drivers will be enrolled under their employer’s company Account number. A new driver record is generated when:
- There is a change to a driver’s record
- Convictions
- Failures to appear
- Accidents
- Driver license suspensions or revocations
- Any other actions taken against the driving privilege
- Add a new driver to employer’s account
- 12-month annual driver record
The benefits of an EPN account (other than it being a requirement):
- Improves public safety.
- Determines if each driver has a valid DL
- Reveals problem drivers or driving behavior
- Helps to minimize a company’s liability
Why VLC should be your EPN agent:
- We have a direct communication with the DMV electronically
- Overall management of account (driver’s and invoices)
- No chance of mail being missorted or lost in transit to appropriate terminal
- 48-hour turnaround time compared to DMV standard 10-15 business days
- Reduce the use of paper and postage
- Ability to add and delete drivers from account with just an email to VLC
- Stored as Secure Electronic copies of all driver records
- Direct agent contacts with EPN department at DMV that is not available to the general public
- Invoice Auditing
Put our 50+ years of experience to work for you. We have many happy clients who are eternally grateful for the time and money we have saved them! Contact us for details.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
530-384-3884
Team Building
When people talk about life being like a roller coaster, they often mean that there are good times and bad times. But, like life, roller coasters also speed up and slow down.
And right now, we at VLC are moving fast…very fast. We have been fielding calls, creating work orders, completing work orders, and working extended hours. Helping our customers is a great motivator, but sometimes we get in our own way.
The old saying goes, “Haste makes waste.” At this point in time, I think this saying is appropriate to consider.
Last week, we dealt with a situation where we were so intent on getting credentials to a customer, that we missed a form that was required by the DMV. We were like teen drivers who are so excited to get somewhere that they forget to fill up the tank with gas. There we were, stuck on the side of the road.
Also last week, we began training two new hires. At one point, I was showing one of our hires (Kristin) a “shortcut” on the Mac, since she had only ever used a PC. I fumbled through the “shortcut” several times before actually making it work. By the time I got done, it wasn’t a shortcut at all! It took 3 times as long! Kristin just looked at me and said, “You just need to slow your roll.”
I have heard this phrase many times, but it is really making an impression on me at this point in time. We tend to create more work for ourselves, when we try to do things fast.
I believe slowing things down just a little will make us more efficient, not less. Taking the time to double check documents and signatures is an example. Taking the time to compose an email that is polite and easy to understand is another. Ultimately, we want to make sure we are honoring our customers and each other. Yes, this may take an extra few minutes, but it will make a huge positive difference for all involved.
Focus on doing it right, not fast. This roller coaster is in our control. Let’s slow it down. Let’s slow our roll.
What situations make you react quickly? Is this when you make mistakes?
What stops you from being able to slow things down and take a deep breath?
Moving forward, what can you say to yourself to remind you to slow your roll?
Have a great week team!
Chuck Ross
John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer, Speaker, and DISC consultant
chuckross.net
Author: Change? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?
530-277-6161
“They themselves are makers of themselves.” James Allen
Team Building
This past weekend was a busy one at the Ross household. Among several other projects, managing wood was on the schedule as usual. While filling up my trailer with split wood, I had an epiphany.
In my quest to help heat the house with wood, I had created an incredible amount of excess work for myself. They say that wood warms you twice: once when you cut it, and a second time when you burn it. I wish that were the case for me.
Last May, we cut down several pines. I donated much of the wood to the senior wood program, which meant loading huge pine rounds into my trailer and making no less than 10 trips to Grass Valley to drop it off. The rounds I kept got moved to the lower property for splitting. It made sense at the time, since I had unhindered access with my truck and trailer. The upper property has a spot that holds about 2 cords of wood, and I have a wood holder outside the front door that holds enough for about 2 weeks.
So I split the wood and stacked it on the lower property. When the upper stacks run out, I have to load up my trailer and take it to the upper property. When the wood runs low in my small rack, I have to refill it from the upper stacks. And, of course, I have to bring it in to the fireplace when I want to burn it.
To make it even more interesting, we have been in the middle of a construction project that relocated the woodpile several times and blocked my access, meaning that I had to fill my trailer with small wheel-barrow loads. I estimate that our wood has warmed me 7 or 8 times by the time I finally burn it.
The seed? Consider thinking through a process completely so that your effort isn’t wasted. Why do 7 or 8 steps when it could be 2?
The beginning for me is splitting, the end is burning. How many steps I create in between is up to me. If I had considered where the wood was, what our construction project would dictate, and where the wood needed to be in order to burn it, I could have saved myself a lot of time and a lot of excess work.
What do we do that needs to be audited for efficiency?
How many steps do we have that are in place for the anomalies? How would our process be affected if we removed those steps?
What individual habits do you have that take away from your efficiency?
Have a great week!
Chuck Ross
John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer, Speaker, and DISC consultant
chuckross.net
Author: Change? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?
530-277-6161
“They themselves are makers of themselves.” James Allen
Electronic Logging
Custom Reports
Since all fleets must become ELD compliant, it makes sense to leverage your investment across all your fleet operations. With electronic logging, you have access to a wealth of data, from duty status and location, engine hours, vehicles miles, driver ID, and more. A telematics solution can even capture other critical data like odometer, fuel usage, speed, hard braking, and emissions.
So, why not benefit from your ELD investment and put this great data to work for you? Custom reports can help you:
- Improve driver safety
- Manage your driver’s time better; take on more work
- Improve accuracy; reduce violations and fines
- Save time and money; office staff can be more efficient
- Improve driver coaching; minimize wear and tear on your fleet
- Automate IFTA reporting
- And much more!!!
Protection Through Proof
Surfsight dashcam captures the drive and the driver behavior in real-time. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine vision, Surfsight automatically detects, and alerts distracted driver behavior and harsh driving incidents, addressing the leading causes of preventable accidents.
When an accident does occur, on-demand video retrievals allow you to review the details leading up to and during the accident. This easily accessible video footage ensures your company is protected through visual proof, reducing claims and insurance costs.
Predictive Maintenance
Electronic logs make it possible to manage your defects in real-time, which can reduce your downtime due to maintenance. In addition, PdM, or predictive maintenance will help avoid breakdowns and expensive repairs.
Predictive maintenance offers huge cost savings and a big boost to customer satisfaction. A well-maintained vehicle is overall all more cost effective and meets a higher safety standard. Operating conditions can be seen in the diagnostic trouble codes that are transmitted along a vehicle’s common area network (CAN lines). Your vehicle’s health is reported in order to predict emerging problems BEFORE they occur. Predictive maintenance has been shown to save companies on average 10-20 percent (and more) of maintenance costs per year.
Problem? We Have a Solution for You!
Time to scrap your paper records and go electronic. Whatever your fleet size, whatever your biggest pain point, we have a solution for you. AND…the best part, your solution can grow as your business and fleet grows!
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
Weigh Station Bypass
Weigh station bypass programs have become an important part of the trucking industry. Nothing is more frustrating than delays due to long scale lines and unexpected inspections.
While fleets are certainly benefiting from bypass solutions, there are some common misconceptions about how the bypass programs work. By sharing this information and helping fleets understand the program and the technology, we hope to provide efficiency, safety, and employee satisfaction as well as increasing your opportunity for increased bypass opportunities.
Here are the Top 4 Bypass Misconceptions
- Bypass programs result in more inspections
Bypass programs reward carriers with good safety ratings. Their goal is to focus on unsafe vehicles while allowing safer fleets with good ISS (Inspection Selection System) scores to bypass inspection.
- Bypass programs are used to track drivers
Secure mobile technology is used to ensure no sensitive information is delivered to law enforcement. Bypass technology is designed to only screen for vehicle-specific criteria such as ISS score, license plate, VIN, USDOT number and the time a truck passes a weigh station. This information is highly regulated and does not leave the station.
- Bypass programs require a transponder
Some bypass programs do utilize transponder-based technology. However, more advanced solutions, like Drivewyze, are completely transponder-free and integrated with the Geotab Drive App. This technology is GPS-based and provides drivers notifications 2 miles and 1 mile ahead of the weigh station, allowing vehicles to stay on the mainline without slowing down if they qualify.
- Bypass programs use CSA scores for screening
The only safety score screened by the bypass program is the carrier’s ISS score. The ISS score is an aggregate of a fleet’s Compliance, Accountability, and Safety (CSA) scores providing law enforcement with a more comprehensive profile of a fleet’s safety. A great ISS score will typically result in more bypasses and a software-based bypass service such as Drivewyze can help improve that score over time, offering additional opportunities for bypass.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
