What Does OOS Mean in Trucking? A Guide to OOS Reinstatements

What does OOS mean in trucking? Out-of-Service (OOS) orders immediately impact your carrier's ability to do business, so it is certainly something you’ll want to avoid. 

Service providers like FMCA Filings help trucking businesses comply with the various government filing regulations, including Unified Carrier Registration. Here’s more about inspections, how you might deal with a potential violation, and the OOS orders themselves.

What Does OOS Mean in Trucking?

Generally, receiving an OOS directive refers to a temporary or permanent violation status for your commercial vehicle or driver. It effectively prohibits operation due to safety violations, as described by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

FMCSA enforces these federal safety regulations with certified inspectors who have the authority to issue OOS orders immediately upon a failed inspection. Your OOS orders will usually arise due to vehicle maintenance issues or even driver compliance problems. 

Inspection Levels and OOS Criteria

The FMCSA’s enforcement officers issue OOS orders based on various levels of DOT inspections. Typically, the inspections that may lead to OOS orders include the following:

• Level 1. As the most comprehensive inspection, the Level 1 inspector examines all driver documents and makes a detailed inspection of the vehicle. 
• Level 2. This inspection also examines driver documents. However, it only involves a walkaround vehicle inspection.
• Level 3. This inspection only examines the driver and daily driving logs. It may include the vehicle inspection reports.

Common Safety Violations Leading to OOS Orders

What are the most commonly cited vehicle violations that lead to OOS orders?

• Faulty brake systems.
• Worn or improperly inflated tires.
• Non-functioning lights or missing reflectors.

It’s understandable that multiple major mechanical or safety issues can lead to vehicular OOS orders. However, routine maintenance issues like those mentioned above often cause costly and inconvenient orders for non-compliant drivers or vehicles.

Whatever triggers them, OOS orders against a driver will prohibit them from operating a commercial vehicle. Usually, this situation involves excess driving hours, incomplete licensing, or a failed drug or alcohol test.

Steps To Take if You Receive an OOS Order

What does OOS mean in trucking? If you have received an OOS order, there are some critical steps you should take to seek reinstatement; and the sooner, the better.

In general, here are some things to do after OOS orders arrive:

• Stop operating immediately. Comply with the terms of the OOS order and take the subject vehicle out of service or a non-compliant driver off the road.
• Review the violation. Carefully examine the specific findings of all violations listed in your order so that you don’t miss the details.
• Inform relevant parties. Immediately notify supervisors or departments about the OOS order. 
• Make necessary repairs. Contract with a qualified professional to make necessary repairs or vehicle corrections. 
• Gather evidence of compliance. Collect valid proof of all the steps taken to address each listed violation, such as repair receipts and work orders or licensing documents. 
• Seek reinspection. When you are ready, promptly request reinspection by a certified DOT inspector to confirm the corrections or repairs. 

When it is time to file for reinstatement, service providers like FMCA Filings can assist you.

How to Prevent OOS Violations

In this industry, preventive maintenance serves as your business’s best defense against OOS orders and DOT violations. To that end, the most important considerations include:

• Proper recordkeeping and filing compliance. Maintain accurate records of all prior inspections, repairs, and maintenance onboard to be displayed during inspections. FMCA Filings focuses on maintaining registration and filing compliance requirements. 
• Regular vehicle inspections and maintenance. Keep detailed records of regular inspections and maintenance for proof on demand.
• Driver compliance. Ensure all drivers comply with the FMCSA’s hours of service requirements. Can they display all necessary licensing documents upon request?

Legal and Financial Implications of DOT Violations

What does OOS mean in trucking? DOT violations always disrupt operations and have significant legal and financial implications. Driver-related violations also affect an individual's employability and necessitate increased monitoring from your company.

Serious violations may lead to the OOS orders described above, but repeated violations also increase insurance premiums and damage your reputation. Poor compliance will cost you lucrative contracts, especially those with strict safety requirements. 

Contact FMCA Filings for Complete Filing Compliance

FMCA Filings manages DOT and all filing compliance, as well as OOS reinstatements. The online system simplifies the paperwork and filing process, giving our clients the power to focus on managing operations instead of worrying about the complexities of FMCSA regulations. The streamlined user experience makes compliance a one-stop process, including being able to understand the causes of a DOT Out-of-Service order to avoid unexpected downtime and expense. 

What does OOS mean in trucking? Essentially, it will mean unnecessary downtime and lost revenue for your trucking business, so prompt reinstatement is crucial. If you’d like some assistance in getting back on the road as soon as possible, contact FMCA Filings for help with consistent compliance and more.