How Compliance Failures Cost Fleets Millions — and What to Do About It

Commercial Carrier Journal’s recent article underscores how non-compliance now threatens fleet survival—via nuclear verdicts, rising insurance exposure, and steep regulatory penalties. But the most fixable risks are also the most common. Foley CEO Joel Sitak calls out three hotspots and a modern playbook to address them:

• Driver files and qualifications: Incomplete or outdated DQFs (missing med cards, unrecorded MVR reviews) can snowball into violations, fines, and disqualification—especially damaging for small and midsize fleets.

• Drug & alcohol compliance: “Minor” misses—like late randoms or skipped Clearinghouse queries—compound under audit, driving up CSA scores, insurance costs, and legal exposure.

• Move from annual checks to continuous monitoring: Sitak recommends always-on safeguards—continuous MVR checks, automated alerts for expiring CDLs/med cards, dashboards that flag incomplete files, and a real-time Compliance Score that prioritizes risk before it becomes a violation.

CCJ’s sources also note that FMCSA/state actions and litigation amplify costs (e.g., recordkeeping and Clearinghouse penalties, underwriting losses in commercial auto), making proactive monitoring essential—not optional. Sitak’s takeaway: build an early-warning system so your team can prevent violations, protect margins, and keep drivers rolling.

Read Commercial Carrier Journal's full article, "The cost of fleet compliance failures," or hear more from Joel in a recent Q&A on reimagining compliance.