Distracted Driving

Policy

We’re doing our part to combat distracted driving.

As a Guaranteed Transport Service Tanker Driver, safety should always be a concern. Not only for you, but the safety of others who are traveling on the roadways with you. The use of handheld devices while driving can compromise the safety of yourself and those around you.

Handheld and Wearable Device Policy

As a Guaranteed Transport Service Driver, safety should always be a concern. The use of and engaging with handheld and wearable devices (phone, tablet, smart watch, fitness tracker, smart eyewear, etc.) while driving can compromise your safety and the safety of those around you. It can also compromise your employment status with the company and your overall FMCSA Driver Qualification.

Why is this policy in place?

Research commissioned by FMCSA shows that the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event (e.g., crash, near crash, unintentional lane deviation) are 6 times greater for CMV drivers who engage in dialing a mobile phone while driving than for those who do not. Device-using Drivers took their eyes off the forward roadway for an average of 3.8 seconds. At 55 mph (or 80.7 feet per second), this equates to a driver traveling 306 feet, the approximate length of a football field, without looking at the roadway.

Guaranteed Transport Service developed this Handheld and Wearable Device Policy in order to ensure the safety of our Drivers and others traveling on the roadways, and to comply with state and federal regulations:

FMCSA REGULATION 392.80 and 392.82 Subpart H – Since January 2012, the FMCSA has outlawed the use of handheld electronic devices for truck drivers while in transit. This ruling accounted for commercial drivers with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lb. or more, stating:

• Drivers face up to a $2,750 fine for each offense. States will suspend a driver’s CDL (Commercial Driver’s license) after two or more serious traffic violations.
• Truck and bus companies that allow their employees to use hand-held devices while driving a commercial vehicle face a maximum penalty of $11,000.

What does using a handheld or wearable device while driving mean?

Driving is defined as operating a commercial motor vehicle on a highway, including while temporarily stationary because of traffic, traffic control device, or other temporary delays. Driving does not include operating a CMV when the driver has moved the vehicle to the side of, or off, a highway and has halted in a location where the vehicle can remain stationary. The use of a handheld or wearable device while operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle is defined as:

• Pressing more than a single button to initiate or terminate a call
• Reaching for a device in a manner that requires you to maneuver so that you are no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt
• Any action that requires your device to be in your hand as opposed to properly mounted on the dash or windshield in a manner that does not obstruct your view
• Viewing or engaging with content on a device while driving
• Any action in which you are manually manipulating your device Handheld Device

Guaranteed Transport Service Policy:

If a Driver is observed using a handheld or wearable device, either by dash cam observation, depicted in an image or video that is posted or shared (on social media or otherwise), reported by another motorist, and/or is cited on a Roadside Inspection:

First Offense (No Collision Involvement)

• Automatic 5-day suspension without pay
• 180-day probation
• Attend the Safer System class within the 30 days of the violation

First Offense (Collision Involvement)

• Termination

Second Offense (Regardless of Collision Involvement)

• Termination

Have Questions?

Contact the Safety Team.