Safety & Compliance
Safety and compliance resources crafted by Ten Four Truck Insurance’s in house safety and loss control department. These resources are designed to keep companies compliant and to provide guidance for regulations put out by the FMCSA and DOT.
Meet Our Expert
Sam Watts, Director of Safety & Loss Control, leads Ten Four Truck Insurance’s effort to help carriers navigate industry regulation so their companies can achieve compliance and thrive.
Sam Watts
Director of Safety & Loss Control
I grew up in trucking and have worked across the industry, from large carriers to small family operations to starting a company with my father. My first real introduction to transportation safety came when a company I worked for received a conditional rating. I had to learn fast how to turn things around, and that experience showed me how many carriers face the same challenges.
Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to helping trucking companies, insurers, and safety tech providers improve their safety and compliance performance. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching safety scores drop and seeing companies thrive through safe, compliant operations.
White Label Documents
White Label Documents are ready-to-use compliance and safety templates that agents and carriers can download, customize, and implement within their own operations. This library includes core FMCSA forms and policies such as driver qualification documents, inspection and maintenance records, coaching and discipline tools, and drug and alcohol compliance materials. All of these documents are designed to support consistency, strengthen compliance, and reduce operational risk.
Safety
Accident Register
The FMCSA Accident Register, required by 49 CFR §390.15, is a crash log carriers must keep to stay compliant and track safety trends.
Annual Review of Driving Record
The Annual Review of Driving Record, required by 49 CFR §391.25, is a yearly check of each driver’s motor vehicle record to ensure they remain qualified and safe to operate. It helps carriers catch risk early and document ongoing compliance.
Certificate of Road Test
A Certificate of Road Test is issued upon successful completion of a road test and should be kept in the driver’s file. This certificate is essential for demonstrating that a driver has passed the necessary evaluations to operate a vehicle in commercial driving contexts.
Discipline Policy
A clear discipline policy helps everyone understand what is expected and what happens when expectations are not met, creates consistency and accountability across the organization.
Driver Coaching Form
A CDL driver coaching form documents safety conversations and corrective coaching with drivers. It helps reinforce expectations and gives carriers the ability to track improvement.
Driver Qualification File
An outline of required records, verification steps, and retention periods motor carriers must maintain to ensure drivers meet federal safety and qualification standards under 49 CFR Part 391 and Part 382.
Driver Vehicle Inspection Report
A DVIR Report, or Driver Vehicle Inspection Report, is a mandatory document that commercial vehicle drivers must complete to ensure the safety and compliance of their vehicles. Here is a paper copy of a DVIR in case you are not required to fill one out electronically.
Longer Combination Vehicle Training Certificate
New drivers must successfully complete an LCV driver-training program that provides the necessary knowledge and skills to operate LCVs, which include combinations of truck-tractors with two or more trailers.
Pre-Trip Inspection Sheet
A pre-trip inspection sheet documents that drivers checked their vehicle before operating. It helps prevent mechanical issues, supports compliance, and reduces the risk of roadside violations and breakdowns.
Compliance
Annual Inspection Report
The Annual Inspection Report, required by 49 CFR §396.17, documents that a vehicle has passed a full safety inspection. It helps carriers keep unsafe equipment off the road.
CDL Application
The Federal Motor Carrier Regulation 49 CFR §391.21 requires that the CDL Driver application collects the driver’s qualifications, history, and disclosures needed to determine if they are eligible to be hired. Your first step in compliant hiring and reducing unnecessary risk is the CDL Driver Application.
Driver Qualification Checklist
49 CFR 391 explains the minimum requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers. Motor carriers are required to maintain a qualification file for each of their drivers.
Drug & Alcohol Policy
An effective drug and alcohol policy, required by 49 CFR Part 382, clearly explains prohibited conduct, testing requirements, and consequences for violations.
FMCSA General Full & Limited Consent Form
The FMCSA General Full & Limited Consent Form allows carriers to access a driver’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse records as required under 49 CFR §382.703. This is needed to conduct annual drug and alcohol queries on the Clearinghouse website.
Observed Behavior Reasonable Suspicion
Under 49 CFR 382.307, employers are required to conduct reasonable suspicion testing for alcohol and controlled substances when they have specific, articulable observations indicating that a driver may be under the influence.
Safety History Records Request
A Safety Performance History Records Request is a process that investigates a driver’s safety and performance record with DOT-regulated employers during the last three years. This request is required by FMCSA regulations and must be conducted on prospective CDL drivers and new hires no later than 30 days following their hiring dates.
The Complete Guide to Hours of Service
Download a practical guide to U.S. Hours of Service (HOS) rules for commercial drivers, explaining where the regulations came from, who they apply to, and how they’re enforced today. The guide is designed to help drivers, dispatchers, and fleets stay compliant, avoid violations, and manage hours strategically to reduce risk and liability.
Educational Videos
Safety
CSA Scores Explained: How FMCSA Ratings Impact Your Trucking Business
Sam breaks down how the FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program works, what the seven BASIC categories measure, where the data comes from, and why your scores have real consequences for your insurance costs, freight access, and regulatory standing.
Trucking Accident Response Plan: What to Do Immediately After a Crash
Whether you’re running a small fleet or managing a large operation, having a clear accident response plan is critical. Without it, missed details, delayed reporting, and confusion can quickly turn a manageable claim into a costly disaster.
Compliance
FMCSA MOTUS Update 2026: What Motor Carriers MUST Do Before May 14
The FMCSA is rolling out MOTUS, a brand-new USDOT registration system that is launching on May 14, 2026. If you’re a motor carrier or broker, then watch to learn how this directly impacts you.
Does Your Trucking Company Have an Accident Registry? | FMCSA Regulation 390.15
Sam Watts, Director of Safety and Loss Control at Ten Four Truck Insurance, breaks down one of the most overlooked compliance requirements in the trucking industry: the accident registry.
Blog Posts
Safety
Why Every Trucking Company Needs an Accident Response Plan
No fleet owner wants to think about accidents. But if you run trucks long enough, the question isn't if something will happen, it's when. You can...
Hiring Is the Most Underrated Safety Decision You Make
Most safety problems don't start on the road. They start in the office the moment a company hires a driver. There is a version of fleet safety that...
Compliance
Authorized Does Not Mean Defensible: What the Montgomery Ruling Means for Your Trucking Company
Most of the conversation around the Supreme Court's decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC has focused on freight broker liability. And...
What Is A DOT Recordable Accident?
If you've been driving a commercial motor vehicle for any length of time, you've probably heard the term "DOT recordable accident" thrown around at...
Contact Our Team
We’re here to help you navigate complex regulations and remain in compliance. Contact our team.