What Triggers an Audit ?
By Stephen Bennett
Complaints from any quarter can trigger an audit of a fuel company by the New York State Department of Transportation , Justin Zimmerman , who is with the DOT , told attendees at the Empire State Energy Conference . “ We get tons of complaints ,” said Zimmerman . “ Typically , complaints come from disgruntled employees or disgruntled ex-employees . Or disgruntled spouses of employees . Or ex-spouses or girlfriends of employees . Or boyfriends of employees .” Looking up from a lectern to scan the audience , Zimmerman noted , “ It doesn ’ t mean that they ’ re wrong . We have to take the complaint at face value .”
Zimmerman added , “ The person that ’ s complaining is typically aware of what went on , if it went on , for many years . But now , all of a sudden , they ’ re mad and they want to get back at [ someone ], so they file a complaint against the company .”
Zimmerman was speaking in a conference session that addressed “ How to Survive a DOT Audit ,” in which he also detailed what to expect in a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse review . The Energy Conference was held Sept . 7-9 , under the auspices of the Empire State Energy Association , at the Thayer Hotel at West Point .
A minor accident is unlikely to result in an audit , Zimmerman said . Defining what he meant by a “ crash ,” Zimmerman said , “ I don ’ t mean a fender bender . I don ’ t mean a normal crash where nobody ’ s hurt . [ But ] a high-profile incident ,” that results in multiple injuries or a fatality or fatalities .
Besides complaints or a crash , other things that can trigger a New York State DOT audit are : a poor CSA score ; a high out-ofservice rate ; and failing to return Driver / Vehicle Examination Reports ( DVERs ).
A DVER is the driver / motor carrier ’ s copy of the results of a completed roadside inspection . It contains information including the driver and carrier data , the violations found and the agency ’ s contact numbers . Ultimately , the violation data forms a ” driver CSA score ” and is listed on the driver ’ s Pre-Employment Screening ( PSP ) report .
A poor CSA score may also trigger a federal audit for a company that operates interstate , Zimmerman noted .
New York State DOT audits can result in fines that are “ pretty significant ,” Zimmerman said . “ The maximum is $ 10,000 per 10 OCTOBER 2023 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com