Avoid the cost and embarrassment of an OOS!
On the March 17th Town Hall, UMA advised operators to review their emergency exit procedures in order to avoid Out of Service orders.
•Ensure each emergency exit is properly marked.
•Marking meets the visibility requirement.
•Marking conveys the proper message.
•Add emergency exits to pre-trip inspection.
•Ensure your drivers know how to operate each emergency exit type (ESPECIALLY ROOF HATCHES!)
•Train drivers how to inspect exit condition (open and close) and markings.
•Require a walk-through inspection of exits by the driver after dropping off groups.
•Ensure each coach has a supply of markings onboard to replace any missing or damaged markings that may occur during trips.
Source: UMA News Flash, Friday, March 18, 2022
For peace of mind and savings, do your biennial DOT update yourself
UMA Staff
Alexandria, VA – One of the most frequent question we receive here at UMA is, “Is this legitimate” and “Do I have to pay to update my MCS-150 now”?
Usually, the “legitimate” question is an email received that is cleverly written to give the appearance it is from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the recipient is about to be deactivated unless the pay a fee to do update their MCS-150, usually with some sense of urgency.
The answer to the next question, “Do I have to pay to update my MCS-150″, is no. There is no charge for updating your MCS-150, and never has been. It’s easy and just takes a few minutes.
The key is knowing when and your USDOT number holds the key. The second-to-last number of your USDOT number tells you which year the update must be completed. If that number is odd, the biennial update will need to be completed in odd years. If the number is even, then you will need to complete the update in even years.
2022 is obviously an even year. Those of you with an even number next to last number will need to update this year.
The month to complete your biennial update is determined by the final number in your U.S. DOT number. The schedule is as follows:
· 1 – January
· 2 – February
· 3 – March
· 4 – April
· 5 – May
· 6 – June
· 7 – July
· 8 – August
· 9 – September
· 0 – October
You do need your personal identification number (PIN). If you forgot the number or forgot where you hid it, it can be requested on the FMCSA website and will be mailed or emailed to you. There is a fax and mail option for those so inclined.
Completing the update is intuitive and it seems unlikely there are any questions you will not know the answer. One question that stumps a few is the question regarding leased vehicles. The reference is to operational lease, not the financial lease most are familiar with.
To get started, go to https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration.
If saving money is not enough reason to take a few minutes and do this yourself, failure to complete a Biennial Update will result in deactivation of your USDOT number and may result in civil penalties of “up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000.” Do you really want to entrust someone that happened to send you an unsolicited email? Probably not. Mark your calendars!
Source: UMA News Flash, Friday, March 18, 2022