Violation 382.501A-SSF, explained
By TruePermitReviewed by the TruePermit compliance teamSMS list v3.21, retrieved
On the roadside report this cite reads: "Drugs/Other Substances - Operating a CMV while recorded as prohibited from performing safety-sensitive sunction.". FMCSA scores it in the Controlled Substances/Alcohol category with an official severity weight of 10 of 10 — among the most severe on FMCSA's list, and it counts on the driver's own record as well as the carrier's.
- Severity weight
- 10/10
- CSA BASIC
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol
- Violation group
- Alcohol Jumping OOS
- Driver's record (DSMS)
- Yes — counts for the driver too
What the Controlled Substances/Alcohol category is
Alcohol and drug prohibitions: use, possession, and operating under influence, plus testing-program failures.
The rarest category at roadside and the most serious: nearly every cite is a 10 of 10, usually with an immediate out-of-service order, and it triggers return-to-duty requirements before the driver can operate again.
What to do after this cite
- Fix the underlying condition before the next dispatch. The violation stays in the two-year record either way — the repeat is what compounds the damage, and recurring findings in one group are what invite closer attention.
- Keep the paper trail together: the inspection report, the repair receipt or corrected log, and photos if the condition was borderline.
- If the data is wrong, use DataQs (dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov): wrong truck, wrong carrier, a cite that doesn't match the condition. Data reviews correct errors; they don't erase valid violations, and no service can promise otherwise.
- If a citation came with it, the fine, court and deadline are on the citation itself — that's a state court matter separate from this federal safety record.
Frequently asked
- What does violation 382.501A-SSF mean?
- It's the cite an inspector writes for: "Drugs/Other Substances - Operating a CMV while recorded as prohibited from performing safety-sensitive sunction.". In FMCSA's Safety Measurement System it belongs to the Controlled Substances/Alcohol category (violation group: Alcohol Jumping OOS) with an official severity weight of 10 out of 10 — among the most severe on FMCSA's list.
- How long does 382.501A-SSF stay on the record?
- Roadside inspection violations stay in the carrier's SMS data for two years, with recent events weighted more heavily than older ones. Fixing the condition doesn't remove the violation — it prevents the repeat, which is what protects the record going forward.
- Does 382.501A-SSF affect the driver or the carrier?
- Both. This cite is included in the Driver SMS, so it counts on the driver's own inspection history as well as the carrier's record.
- Can I dispute it?
- If the recorded data is wrong — wrong vehicle or carrier, a cite that doesn't match the condition — file a DataQs Request for Data Review at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov with your inspection report and evidence. Data errors do get corrected; valid violations don't get erased, and repairing the issue afterwards doesn't make the original cite incorrect.
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Check my USDOT →Cite, description and severity weight verbatim from FMCSA's SMS Methodology Appendix A (v3.21, retrieved 2026-09-06). Out-of-service criteria are CVSA's licensed publication and are not reproduced. General information, not legal advice.