The Top 10 DOT Violations and How to Avoid Them
Picture this: your driver's sitting at a weigh station. The inspector walks around the truck and spots a worn brake pad.
Boom - you've got a violation, a fine hanging over your head, and your safety rating just took a hit.
Nobody wants that headache, right?
DOT violations aren't just annoying paperwork.
They cost you real money and put your drivers in danger. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) documented more than 100,000 violations across the country in 2025 alone.
But here's what you need to know: you can prevent most of these.
We're walking you through the 10 violations that pop up most often and giving you practical ways to avoid every single one.
What Counts as a DOT Violation?
A DOT violation happens when your driver or your vehicle breaks federal transportation safety rules.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration handles enforcement. Their regulations cover driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, work hours - basically everything that keeps trucks safe on highways.
You'll see violations split into two buckets:
- Driver violations mean unsafe driving or paperwork failures.
- Vehicle violations point to equipment problems or maintenance gaps.
Every violation gets logged and hits your Compliance, Safety, Accountability score. That CSA score controls your insurance costs and how likely you are to get audited. Poor scores tell regulators and customers you're risky to work with.
The Top 10 DOT Violations in 2025
1. Brake System Defects
Every year, brake violations sit right at the top. Always have, probably always will.
Inspectors walk around checking air leaks, looking at pad wear, making sure everything actually functions. Spot a problem? Your truck gets parked immediately. Out of service, no questions asked.
How to avoid it:
- Pre-trip inspections need to happen daily. Thoroughly. Your drivers can't skip this step. Brake pads get replaced before they're grinding down to nothing.
- Air leaks get fixed the moment you spot them. Today, not next week. Follow whatever maintenance schedule the manufacturer laid out.
- Training drivers to recognize early warnings matters. Strange sounds from the brakes. Braking feels mushy or off. Dashboard lights pop on. Anything weird deserves checking out immediately.
2. Hours of Service Violations
Even with ELDs everywhere now, HOS violations keep popping up regularly.
Drivers exceed the 11-hour driving window or blow through that 14-hour duty period. Some falsify their records. Others just skip breaks they're supposed to take.
FMCSA takes HOS violations extremely seriously. Expect fines ranging from $1,000 up to $11,000 for each offense. They'll yank drivers and carriers off roads without hesitation.
How to avoid it:
- Invest in quality ELD systems and train drivers properly on using them. Review logs weekly to catch mistakes before they become bigger problems.
- Plan routes allowing drivers to finish loads within legal limits. Tight deadlines happen. Demanding customers exist. But pushing drivers to violate rules isn't worth risking their licenses or your business.
- Monitor for suspicious patterns - excessive personal conveyance usage or constant log editing. These patterns typically signal someone gaming the system. Address issues before inspectors do.
3. Speeding Violations
Speeding violations pop up constantly in driver reports.
Going over posted limits puts everyone on the road at risk. It gets your trucks flagged for inspections. And it increases your chances of being in an accident which nobody wants.
How to avoid it:
- Speed governors work. Install them on your trucks and set the max speed a little below typical highway limits.
- Consider investing in driver-facing cameras or telematics systems that monitor speed in real time.
- Make speeding a zero-tolerance policy in your safety handbook. Then actually enforce it consistently.
4. Lighting and Signal Defects
Broken or missing lights are serious safety hazards that inspectors catch constantly.
They check headlights, brake lights, turn signals, all the required lamps. Lights that don't work equal instant violations.
Lighting defects caused thousands of vehicle violations nationwide in 2025.
How to avoid it:
- Check every light during pre-trip and post-trip inspections. Swap out burned bulbs right away.
- Keep spare bulbs in each truck. That way drivers can fix things quickly without waiting.
- Clean those light lenses regularly. Dirt makes them dim and can trigger violations even when the bulbs work fine.
5. Operating Without a Valid CDL
Driving without the right commercial license breaks federal law plain and simple.
This happens when licenses expire by accident or drivers operate vehicles needing higher CDL classes than what they've got.
Carriers get cited too for letting unqualified drivers behind the wheel.
How to avoid it:
- Track all your drivers' license expiration dates in one place. Set up automatic reminders 60 days before expiration.
- Double-check the CDL class matches the vehicle type before you assign loads. Class A, B, and C licenses allow different vehicle combinations.
- Run pre-employment and annual clearinghouse queries. That's how you catch suspended or revoked licenses
6. Tire Violations
Tire problems show up in roadside inspections all the time.
Inspectors look for flats, low tread depth, and air leaks you can hear. Worn or damaged tires fail inspections instantly.
How to avoid it:
- Check tire pressure and tread depth in every pre-trip inspection. Replace tires before they hit minimum legal tread.
- Rotate tires when the manufacturer says to. This makes them last longer and stops uneven wear.
- Look at tire sidewalls for cracks, bulges, or other damage. Small problems get worse fast under heavy commercial loads.
7. Failure to Obey Traffic Control Devices
Ignoring traffic signals, stop signs, and control devices creates major violations.
This includes running red lights, not stopping at railroad crossings, and blowing past construction zone signs.
How to avoid it:
- Train drivers on defensive driving. Hammer home the importance of following all traffic controls.
- Put real consequences in place for traffic violations. Drivers who know there are repercussions take fewer stupid risks.
- Use route planning tools that flag railroad crossings and construction zones. Warning drivers ahead of time helps them prepare.
8. Drug and Alcohol Testing Violations
Drug and alcohol violations carry brutal penalties.
Common mistakes include skipping pre-employment clearinghouse queries, using drivers before you get negative test results back, and forgetting annual clearinghouse checks.
Using a driver before test results come in costs about $8,000 per violation. It can also get you a conditional safety rating.
How to avoid it:
- Build clearinghouse queries into your hiring process. Never let a driver operate before you've got written proof of negative results.
- Set yearly reminders for clearinghouse queries on each driver. Tie them to work anniversaries or do them all company-wide every December.
- Keep complete drug and alcohol testing records in driver qualification files.
9. Improper or Missing Vehicle Markings
Your vehicles need proper USDOT numbers and other required markings displayed.
Missing or wrong markings result in violations during roadside inspections. Hazmat loads need additional placards and labels.
How to avoid it:
- Make sure USDOT numbers are visible on both sides of each power unit. Numbers must be at least two inches tall in contrasting colors.
- Replace faded or damaged markings right away. Weather and road dirt make them illegible over time.
- Train drivers and staff on hazmat labeling requirements. Wrong placards create serious safety risks and compliance headaches.
10. Inadequate Record-Keeping
Poor record-keeping leads to multiple audit violations fast.
Carriers don't maintain driver qualification files, vehicle maintenance records, and hours of service documentation properly.
During audits, missing records get you cited even when you actually did the compliance activity.
How to avoid it:
- Use a digital record-keeping system. Organize documents by driver and vehicle so you can find stuff easily.
- Do internal audits every quarter. Review driver files, maintenance records, and HOS logs to make sure everything's there.
- Assign specific staff to manage compliance docs. Clear accountability keeps records from disappearing.
Financial Impact of DOT Violations
DOT violation fines vary dramatically depending on how bad things are :
| Violation Type | Fine Range |
| Hours of Service | $1,000 - $11,000 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | $1,000 - $16,000 |
| Driver Qualification | $1,000 - $10,000 |
| Drug and Alcohol | $1,000 - $25,000 |
| Cargo Securement | $1,000 - $10,000 |
| Hazardous Materials | Up to $175,000+ |
Serious violations that result in accidents can go past $100,000.
Beyond fines, violations jack up insurance rates and cost you shipping contracts. The total financial impact can reach tens of thousands per violation.
What to Do If You Receive a Violation
- Deal with violations immediately.
- For vehicle defects, send proof of repair with your fine payment. Document the corrective action thoroughly.
- Drug and alcohol violations require going through a seven-step return-to-work process. You've gotta follow FMCSA guidelines exactly - no shortcuts here.
- Challenging violations makes sense if you genuinely believe they're unfair. But when you're clearly in the wrong? Resolving things quickly typically works out better.
- Every violation teaches something valuable. Figure out what actually caused it. Then put real preventive measures in place so it doesn't happen again.
Ready to protect your fleet from expensive violations? Reach out to DOT Compliance Support today for hassle-free compliance management and registration services.
FAQs
How long do DOT violations stay on my record?
Most DOT violations stick around on your record for three to five years, depending on how serious they are. Successfully challenged violations get removed right away. During this period, violations mess with your CSA score and make audits more likely.
Can DOT violations affect my insurance rates?
Absolutely. Violations significantly impact insurance premiums. Carriers with multiple violations or high CSA scores pay way more for coverage. Some insurers won't even cover carriers with poor safety ratings.
What's the difference between driver and vehicle violations?
Driver violations involve unsafe actions like speeding, HOS breaches, or operating without proper licensing. Vehicle violations relate to equipment defects such as brake problems, lighting issues, or tire damage.
