UPDATED ALERT TO CARRIERS ON AGGRESSIVE MARKETING ATTEMPTS
In recent weeks, we have received numerous inquiries regarding companies using aggressive marketing tactics to sell both supervisor training and products, such as logbooks, to carriers. While 49 CFR § 395.8 requires drivers to keep a record of their duty status and outlines a format for that record, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not sell or endorse companies that market products, such as logbooks, to employers. Likewise, while some employers may also be required under49 CFR § 382.603 to ensure that supervisors attend mandatory drug and alcohol training, the FMCSA does not certify trainers or training companies and it does not pre-approve the curriculum presented. It is an employer's choice to select which training and/or products it might need given the aforementioned guidelines. As part of the application process for obtaining operating authority, some employer information is made available on our public website. Independent companies may try to market products and services to employers using this public information. If a carrier receives an advertisement that improperly asserts an association with the Department of Transportation or the FMCSA, or attempts to obtain personal banking or credit card information not related to a purchase, please contact Tom Frazier, Investigator for the Federal Motor Carrier Administration at (540) 504-6436.