2024 FMCSA Audits Year in Review

In-house DOT audits of companies that operate commercial vehicles are on the rise — and so too are the penalties. Are you prepared for an auditor’s knock on your door?

For the fourth year in a row, 2024 saw an increase in on-site audits from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its state partners. With more than 8 in 10 audits now being done on-site, it’s no wonder that investigators are finding more of the most serious types of violations and are issuing more penalties than in years past.

Last year, 94 percent of audits resulted in at least one violation, and 55 percent included the types of violations that can affect a company’s safety rating, known as “acute” and “critical” violations. Those violations increased 3 percent from the prior year.

Why the increase? Likely because on-site, comprehensive audits saw an 11-percent jump since 2023. This type of audit brings much more scrutiny, with more interviews conducted, more documents reviewed, and more vehicles inspected.

If you think you’re too small for an audit, consider this: nearly three out of five (57 percent) of audits last year were of companies with fewer than 7 power units. About 97 percent of those audited had 100 or fewer units.

If you’re not quite ready for that knock on the door, it’s time to get prepared for a DOT investigation of your compliance program, especially your documentation.

In 2024, the FMCSA and its state partners performed nearly 12,300 investigations, down slightly from 2023 but the decline was limited to off-site audits. The total included roughly:

• 4,550 on-site comprehensive audits (up 11%)
• 5,800 on-site focused reviews (down 1%)
• 1,750 off-site audits (down 21%)

A comprehensive, on-site audit is the most intensive kind, potentially taking several days and involving an in-depth document review, interviews, and inspections covering all aspects of a motor carrier’s operations. In contrast, an off-site audit involves a review of documents sent to the auditor, making it less stressful and intrusive.

Nearly half of audits in 2024 were “on-site focused,” where the auditor comes on-site and targets a specific safety problem, such as hours of service (HOS) or driver files, typically as a result of poor Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores.

As noted, an increase in on-site audits means more serious violations are being found and higher penalties are being paid. Last year saw a 5-percent increase in investigations that led to either acute or critical violations, the types that can impact your safety rating.

Nearly 1 in 4 audits resulted in a fine, and though the number of enforcement cases remained steady from 2023 to 2024, total fines increased by more than 1 percent, reaching over $27 million. The maximum fines allowed by law are tied to inflation and have increased by 20 percent over the past four years.

• 94% of audits resulted in at least one violation
• 24% resulted in fines or other penalties
• 3,810 enforcement cases were finalized (down 0.5%)
• $27,050,000 in fines were collected (up 1.2%)
• $7,100 was paid per settlement, on average (up 2%)
• 55% of audits resulted in acute or critical violations (up from 52%)
  • 33% of audits resulted in critical violations (up from 32%)
  • 22% of audits resulted in acute violations (up from 20%)
• 35% of audits resulted in a “satisfactory” safety rating (same as 2023)
• 32% of audits resulted in a less-than-satisfactory safety rating
  • 27% were Conditional (down from 28%)
  • 5% were Unsatisfactory (down from 6%)

Audits are not only hitting motor carriers’ bottom lines, they’re also having long-range impacts since less-than-satisfactory safety ratings can lead to lost business, higher insurance rates, and increased liability in court.

The state of your documentation will make or break your audit results, and meticulous recordkeeping has never been more important.

If you’re not sure where to begin preparing for an audit, getting your DOT-mandated paperwork in good shape is a great place to start. About 60 percent of all critical violations found during audits last year related to recordkeeping, including 6 out of the top 10.

Why does it matter? Consider a favorite target: false logs. If an auditor discovers that just 10 percent of your drivers’ logs are falsified, the best you can hope for is a Conditional safety rating. If additional violations are found, you could easily end up facing an out-of-service order.

Today, digital records management is expected. No matter what type of audit you might face, you may be asked to submit records on short notice, electronically. If you can’t, you’ll be at a disadvantage.

The more organized and digitized your DOT records are, the easier you can spot problems before an auditor does, and the quicker an audit can conclude.

At first, focus your efforts on your driver qualification, drug/alcohol testing, HOS, and vehicle inspection/maintenance files — most acute and critical regulations fall into those areas. Be aware that you’ll also be asked for proof of insurance, an accident register, and possibly many other compliance documents.

In many cases, documentation may be your only proof of compliance. Fail to create a record or toss it out too soon, and you may be hit with a penalty. An electronic records management system will alert you to missing or non-compliant records so you can fix the problems before they result in a fine.

The FMCSA’s audit results from 2024 are a continued “call to action” to prioritize and enhance your DOT recordkeeping and compliance efforts. Don’t wait for that knock on the door or notice in the mail. Surviving an audit depends on a robust, organized recordkeeping system and proactive safety management practices.