Effectively Documenting Out-of-Service Action on a Roadside Inspection Report

Officer has additional notes concerning the Roadside inspection including what occurred during the inspection, specific details on the violations, and Officer’s decision on allowing movement to repair shop or escorting to nearest exit due to Out-Of-Service on the side of the road. The additional Officer’s notes are not documented on the actual roadside inspection form for the Carrier to be aware and comprehend what occurred and/or the decisions that were made during and after the completion of the inspection. To determine if a DataQ Challenge on a specific violation is to be submitted, Carrier must use valuable resources and time spent to request the Officer’s notes then the time and effort invested by the State’s to research and forward the documentation.

To reduced DataQ Challenge work load for Carrier and State, Officer’s roadside notes should be required to be documented on the actual Roadside Inspection form. This will give the Carrier opportunity to review the events concerning the violations to better determine if a DataQ Challenge is warranted including to confirm proper proof of corrections on equipment violations and how Out-Of-Service violations were addressed.

Require States to document all additional Officer’s notes on the actual Roadside Inspection form so information concerning the roadside is available for review when Carrier's receive the roadside form from the driver. This will save Carrier and State cost, time, and a possible reduction to the already populated DataQ Challenge programs. Additionally this would assist drivers in enhancing their understanding of his/her requirement for corrections and/or on any movement at an Officer’s discretion, if applicable.