OOIDA’s Compliance Connection

Paperwork is an ugly word to many of us.

And when it comes to trucking, “endless” doesn’t even seem appropriate for describing the amount of paperwork required.

But OOIDA Compliance Connection can help by providing a user-friendly system for all your record-keeping needs, from driver files and equipment files to carrier permits and more.

Think of it as an online personal assistant, said Crystal Minardi, OOIDA Permits and Licensing supervisor.

“Maybe some drivers think they won’t need this type of program, but you can be audited at any time,” Minardi said. “You are required to maintain your files. If you’re not in a position where you are going to continue to maintain those files without being reminded to be in compliance of certain things, this is an excellent tool.”

That tool includes a reminder system – and let’s be honest, nearly everyone could benefit from one of those.

“They get an email on Mondays and Tuesdays to let them know what’s coming due,” said Bailey Askew, an OCC specialist. “We also help with the new-entrant audit if they’re a new owner-operator.”

After receiving the necessary information, Compliance Connection will format everything into a PDF file for quick access, future updating or in the case of an audit.

“All they have to do is upload it to the site that the auditor gives them and send over their logs through their ELD, and that’s essentially it,” Askew said.

New carriers are especially grateful for such a service, said Courtney George, an OCC assistant.

“When they first get started, there’s a lot that goes into it,” George said. “We help keep them in line while they are figuring everything out and getting on their feet.”

Education is also a major part of the process.

“It’s not just, ‘Fill this out,’” Askew said. “We’re going through and explaining. A lot of times, when we send the driver file to someone, they don’t realize they have to have it, because they are the owner-operator. They are driving the truck, but they also own the company. It seems redundant, but it’s required.”

Compliance Connection literally goes through each and every form to make sure they all are completed correctly.

That education works both ways, as the Compliance Connection Department continually researches and stays up to date with the necessary trucking requirements.

“When I first started, it was very overwhelming,” George said. “There was a lot to it. There is a lot of online research and utilizing the FMCSA website.”

Reaching out to other departments also provides valuable expertise in certain areas, Askew added.

While there’s a lot to it in terms of paperwork, the process of members signing up for the service can be done relatively quickly.

“We’ve had members sign up, and we get them completely set up in one or two days,” Askew said. “As long as the communication is there. We get them prepared in a way so it can be done faster than people might imagine.”

Compliance Connection even reaches out to the Authority Department to see if any potential drivers could use its assistance.

“Sometimes the most daunting task is filling out the 22-page driver file,” George said. “They see that and they’re like, ‘Do I have to?’”

And if for whatever reason a driver doesn’t have something, Compliance Connection will step in and figure out what needs to be done to ensure the driver is enrolled in everything required to legally operate.

For additional information, call OOIDA’s Business Services Department at 816-229-5791. LL