CalRMA Transportation Workshop

California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Regan Presenting 24 February 2021 Notes from Presentation

Top Violations

1. 1) Speeding – reduces reaction time. Combination vehicles and Placarded vehicles must drive at 55 mph. Includes pulling boats or camper trailers.

2. 2) Unsafe lane changes

3. 3) Utilizing the wrong lane. HOV lane is not counted. Two axle commercial vehicle can drive in HOV lane. Combination vehicles and placarded vehicles are limited to the far-right lanes and must travel at 55 mph.

4. 4) Not obeying signs and signals

5. 5) Unsafe starting and backing – Look 360 around car to prevent property damage that may result in reporting.

6. 6) Unsafe loading of cargo.

7. 7) DUI – alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medications. Use of marijuana is enforced at the Federal level. A California standard level of sobriety for marijuana use is being developed.

8. 8) Distracted driver – cellphone use is a moving violation. Distracted drivers account for 80% of vehicle accidents.

If you have a CDL and get a violation, you have only one opportunity for traffic school. After that, traffic school is not an option. Know your vehicle’s “declared” and “gross” weight rating. The declared weight is the maximum weight you declared as the safe travel weight of the vehicle: That is what is enforceable. Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) is now performance based. The lower your score the safer your drivers and vehicles are. BITs are now 6 or more years based on you “Safer Score.” A score of 90+ at a truck-stop inspection will result in a BIT. Your CA# and DOT# are linked to your Safer Score even if you are an intrastate hauler. If you have are just an intrastate hauler, then you must get be a bogus DOT# to register in the Safer Score program. https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx.