Episode 111: Raise the Standard: Owning DOT Blitz Week (International Roadcheck Prep)

In this episode of Keep Trucking Personal, Tyler Kivi brings everything full circle by connecting the lessons from the Living Radical and Stand Firm series into one clear message: raise your standard. With the upcoming CVSA International Roadcheck (DOT Blitz Week) taking place May 12-14, he walks through how drivers can prepare, perform, and approach inspections with confidence. The focus is on being ready before you ever hit the scale - knowing your equipment, your logbook, and your load are dialed in. 

Tyler highlights the key areas for this year, including logbooks and load securement, and reinforces how small details like signing logs, checking straps, and having paperwork in order can impact the outcome of an inspection. He encourages drivers to stay consistent now so nothing changes when the pressure is on, and to take ownership of their work with pride and professionalism. DOT Blitz Week is simply a moment to show the standard you’ve already set. Whether you’re part of Kivi Bros Trucking or running your own operation, this episode serves as both a practical checklist and a mindset reset - be prepared, stay confident, treat officers with respect, and show up ready to do the job right.

Learn more about CVSA’s International Roadcheck Scheduled for May 12-14 here: https://cvsa.org/news/2026-roadcheck/

Transcript

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Welcome to Keep Trucking Personal. I'm Tyler Keevey, a third generation trucker. My purpose is simple to make sure the definition of trucking doesn't get lost in the culture this industry is drifting toward. This podcast is about real stories, the hard lessons, and the standards that built this business long before apps and algorithms. If you believe trucking is more than freight and it's responsibility, you're in the right place. Let's get into it. Hey guys, welcome back to Keep Trucking Personal. My name is Tyler, and I'm your host. Over the past few weeks, we've covered a lot, really, but it's been focused on two series. And those two series were Living Radical and Stand Firm and Act Like a Trucker. And if you step back and look at both of them, they're really saying the same thing just through a different lens. And that saying is raise your standard. And so to recap Living Radical, we talked about three things. And it was intensity showing up locked in and consistency doing the small things right over time and urgency. Stop waiting, take action now, as in now is your time. And that's how you approach your life. And to recap the stand firm series, we talked about stand firm. So no excuses. Take total ownership. Do the job right. And so all the little details matter. There's no shortcuts. And last but not least, act like a trucker. And that was to carry yourself with pride and professionalism. And that's how you approach your job. So we talked about life and your career. And the truth about those two is they're setting you up for something that's coming. Of course, it's a good opportunity for how you live, and it's a good opportunity to tweak how you work. And when you combine both of them, you get something very special. But the ultimate root for the training was to bring you to this DOT blitz that is happening in two weeks, May 12th through the 14th. And that's real. That's a real world scenario to put all of this training together. This happens every single year, and it's the opportunity. It's not really a buckle in and hide. This is an opportunity for you to shine. This is where you show up. And it's actually called the International Road Check, right? CVSA International Road Check, but we call it the DOT Blitz Week. And so it's a 72-hour period, right? So three days. It's across the US, Canada, and well, and Mexico, but you know, we don't travel there, so we don't have to worry about that. And so this year they're focused on your logbook. We know there's a lot of opportunity there to make sure you are set up for success. So make sure there's a there's a lot I'll get into, but make sure you're signing your logs and you're starting that now. Like two weeks out means you have to start now to be perfect for when that DOT comes. You want to make sure that you have everything lined out and you're comfortable. It's not a spring it on you. We will be talking through company messaging as we get closer about being prepared and making sure, you know, eight days out is where everything has to be T, right? You know, cross your T's, dot your I's and ready. But they're also looking at your equipment. They always do. If your logs trigger an inspection, your equipment, your equipment gets looked at as well. So your paperwork, but it's your logbooks and your load securement. Those are the main two focus points. Well, for us, load securement is everything. You know, a lot of times, some other of the carriers, a van carrier, uh, there's still securement inside a van, right? But it's not as prevalent as it is in Flapid. So for us, they're looking for our trucks, they're looking for how we secure the load. They're making sure everything is tight and nothing is rolling back and forth when you come across the scale. So these two, these two complement each other. If something looks off on your load, they're gonna look at your logbook. If your logbook has something wrong with it, they're gonna look at the rest of your load. So you really have to be on your A game. Don't let this stress you out. Don't take on a bunch of extra pressure. This is something for you to get through. Like you have to you have to master getting through it. Don't look at it as all the stress and pressure. Let's work through it together. The DOT blitz is not a problem. This is the test, right? Let's get let's get focused. You know, and intensity. We there's so many things that I tie back to this. The intensity, show up when you need to show up ready. And don't just hope everything checks out. Like, know what your equipment looks like, know what your logbook looks like, be confident. Knowing is the difference. Know you've checked your truck over well. Know your logbook looks fantastic, and know that your load is secured better than ever. Don't let any rip straps, loose chains, don't take shortcuts. No guessing. Just be prepared. You guys can do it. And that's for any truck driver in this industry. It's not just here. Like, let's let's make sure that we set a good standard. There's a lot going on in the trucking industry. We've talked for a while, rates are bubbling right to the top. It's exciting. This is the year for a trucker. We're pushing out a lot of people that don't belong in the industry, and there's been a lot focused on bad brokers and bad drivers that are non-domiciled. So much. Let's take advantage of this for us. Right? So consistency, this these all tie back to our previous series. Make sure your logs are clean now. Make sure your pre-trips are done and they're done thorough. Your equipment is going to be in order. Like that's a must. It's not an if. And so when that DOT blitz hits May 12th through the 14th, nothing changes. You're already running it. That's what will feel the best. That's when you know you're ready. This isn't like you wake up and you're avoiding scales and you're doing everything you can to stay out of their, stay out of their arena. No, you're not worried about it. You're welcoming it. We have nothing to hide. And so that's where the urgency ties in, right? Get it going now. Fix things now as you see it. Don't postpone it. Handle the problem early. And don't say, I'll get to it later, I'll bring it up next week. No, handle it now. Because if it turns into a violation, you're going to kick yourself in the rear end and say, why did I let that come now? And so if something isn't right, address it. Don't ignore the problems. Get your head in the game. Own it. There's just so much that goes into these DOT blitzes. And we look forward to them every year. And most likely you'll see some commentary come out about doubling the payouts. That's how big of a deal it is to us. We want to make sure that you're ready and you earn as much as you can because you did a really good job. And we want clean inspections all day long, top-down. And so we're going to double it and we're going to give you as much notice as we can. We'll be looking through everything early to help set you up. But let's not allow an opportunity to get any violations, or even worse, get put out of service because a loose strap can put you out of service. And that's not where you want to be. A bad log or an uncertified log or forgetting your trailer or no shipping documents. All those can result in a violation. Might not be a major violation, but it's still a violation and takes away from the opportunity to have a good one. So let's remember we're truck drivers. We can do this job right. We're professionals. We know what it takes to do it. We're respectful when that DOT officer comes up to your window. There's no reason other than to give them the most respect that you can. Kill them with kindness. I have yet to see somebody say that I was too nice to a DOT officer and it resulted in a worse outcome. I've yet to see that. If you can prove to me otherwise, man, bring it on. But if somebody's having a bad day, let them have a bad day. Don't aggravate it even worse. So be respectful and then be prepared. Know you got your shipping documents. Make sure you can log into your digital permit book. Do not wait until you're on the side of the road going, oh my gosh, I can't get into this thing, or I've never had to log into it. Make sure you test the process. Make sure you walk through it in your mind. And just be honest. You know, the DOT blitz is not going to create problems for you guys. It's not. That's why we talk about being prepared. And if something does go wrong during the week, typically didn't start that week. It's probably something that you've been having issues with for a while. So a lot of this always ties back. Take that moment and just calibrate your mind, walk through what a DOT inspection looks like. You assume they're ask for your information, your license, they're gonna ask for your logbook, registration, insurance, all of the common stuff. Then they start with the walk around, make sure you're checking all of your lights, you're checking this turn signals and the brake lights, and you're listening for error leaks, and you're getting under there and actually looking to make sure there's nothing hanging or loose or your brake shoes or none of that. Like take the time, go through it. Especially if you have two weeks now, when your next 34, take that time and just walk around, absorb what's going on with your truck. So a simple checklist. Let's know our equipment, let's be confident in what we have, know your logbook and know that it's good. Certify everything. It's so easy to forget sometimes. Make sure you are focused and diligent. Make sure your load is secured above and beyond. Make sure you check it often. If you do are coming to a scale, make sure you stop prior to that scale and do a load check. Have all your paperwork ready, your bill ladies, anything that's required per the DOT, have it ready. And last but not least, take pride in the job and have fun. Let them know you are a trucker and you are proud of it. It's that simple. That's what all this is all about. Live it and love it, and let's do it right and let's own this DOT Blitz Week. So next week, we will have Tyler Johnson, our safety manager, on the podcast, and we'll talk through a lot of the same things, but I just want him to express it. I want him to be able to tell you guys how important this is. We'll talk about the double payouts. We'll talk about setting you up for success as we'll go through an audit, make sure that your logbooks are good. Now, obviously, we can't see how you secure your load and how you do that on the road. So we need your buy-in to make sure that you're ready. Thanks for listening to the Keep Trucking Personal podcast. If you have anything you'd like to be covered, please reach out to me. Until then, keep trucking personal. Appreciate you tuning in. If you got value out of this, subscribe and send it to someone who takes pride in the job. We're not just moving freight, we're shaping the culture. Catch you on the next one.