We are here to help! But, it is YOUR responsibility to know the law, “no excuses”.
DOT Compliant Screening Services
NAPS is not a legal firm and cannot provide legal advice. We highly recommended you consult legal counsel to ensure your forms, policies and procedures, related to the use of CRA-provided information, are in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
DOT Compliance Screening Solution Provider, Alabama
DOT Compliance Employment Verification by NAPS
NAPS Background Checks provides employment screening and testing for drugs/alcohol in a manner that is compliant with federal regulations governing DOT compliant businesses. We have a team of specialists who are skilled and experienced in the area of federal regulations governing the trucking industry. Our DOT compliant screening solutions comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements that state; a three-year employment and drug/alcohol verification must be performed on a prospective driver. This verification covers any potential violations of the alcohol and controlled substances prohibitions. Positive test confirmation is provided by NAPS if applicable.
FMCSA Compliance Screening Solutions
Properly verifying a potential driver’s drug/alcohol history and previous employment takes time and effort. In some cases, past employers are not easy to reach. They often show reluctance to provide the detailed information required by the FMCSA. DOT regulations governing the trucking industry are very specific regarding the types of questions that must be answered as part of the DOT compliant verification process. NAPS Background Checks takes the guesswork out of this process, which saves you time and money by relying on our professional expertise in navigating the FMCSA guidelines.
PSP Crash History Reporting Search Services
Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) records were developed by the FMCSA to allow motor carriers to purchase crash and roadside inspection data that is contained within the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) database. These PSP records will allow trucking companies to gather data about a potential employee’s past highway crash and inspection history. The report may identify drivers who have frequent accidents and violations. Avoid bad hiring decisions by allowing NAPS to provide this valuable information directly to your recruiting team. There was a recent study by the FMCSA that found carriers who use the PSP data during the hiring process lowered their crash rates and also decreased driver out-of-service rates. NAPS provides PSP reporting services for the transportation industry.
Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) Driving Records
NAPS provides comprehensive State DMV driving records to companies operating in the transportation industry. MVR reports are a great tool you can use to identify prospective employees with a record of unsafe driving habits. Companies operating under DOT regulation are required to review MVR reports annually on all drivers. In addition to the regulatory requirement, there are cost-saving advantages to requesting an MVR report. Transportation companies assume al liability for their drivers who operate equipment for business-related purposes. Any employee-cause accident can increase insurance costs and potentially lead to costly litigation. So, let us help you access MVR records for prospective employees and also for your existing workforce. We can help you maintain your DOT compliance while making your workforce safer with MVR reporting.
Important Notice:
Before ordering a consumer report, FCRA compliance procedures “must” to be followed by the (End User) to gain access to consumer reports.
Regulations governing the transportation industry are published on the Federal Registrar and they are compiled in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. NAPS Background Checks stays up-to-date on the FMCSA regulations that are published to the Federal Registrar to ensure compliance for our customers. You can view these publications online at this link:
Here is a “Quick Summary”
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Background Check Requirements
- The Department of Transportation requires that a commercial driver background check be conducted on all new drivers.
- The DOT requires verification of three (3) years of employment immediately preceding the driver’s current application for hire. This verification must be completed within 30 days of the driver commencing employment with the company.
- The DOT further requires that, in addition to the standard questions about dates of employment, position and salary, additional information must be obtained in order to be in compliance. While this process may sound straight-forward enough, it commands due diligence. You must ensure that your verification efforts include all of the questions required by the DOT so that you satisfy both Section 391.23 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and 49 CFR Part 40.25.
In order to be in full compliance, you must obtain the following information:
Dates of employment, job title, salary, reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, overall job performance, confirmed alcohol test results of 0.04% or greater, full history of drug and alcohol testing, dates of confirmed positive drug tests, refusals to test, verified adulteration or substitutions of samples and any treatment records.
Failure to comply with the employment verification requirements of the Department of Transportation may result in a fine and/or civil liability.
Regional criminal background checks are selected from four different regions around the USA. There is a Southern region, a Western region, an Eastern region, and the Midwest region. Online criminal search gateways are used to access multiple state criminal databases. This search can be instant or nearly instant in some cases. However, some states will require 1 to 3 days for completion. The search history will be different depending on which states are searched. But they go back at least seven years to return misdemeanor, felony, and minor infraction records.
In addition to the standard background investigation services offered to our clients, we also offer the following DOT Compliant services that should be included in the Driver Qualification File.
Motor Vehicle Records – The MVR must be run on a driver for the previous three years in all states the driver held a license. The MVR provides a true and complete list of traffic violations (other than parking violations) for which the driver has been convicted.
Annual Motor Vehicle Records for compliance with 49 CFR 391.25, Annual Review of Driving Record. This report is a critical aspect of the Driver Qualification File. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that MVRs are run no less than once every 12 months.
CDLIS – Used to identify any and all states CDL licenses held by the applicant for the previous three years. The Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) is a nationwide computer system that enables state driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) to ensure that each commercial driver has only one driver’s license and one complete driver record. State driver licensing agencies use CDLIS to complete various procedures, including:
- Transmitting out-of-state convictions and withdrawals
- Transferring the driver record when a commercial driver’s license holder moves to another state
- Responding to requests for driver status and history
- CDLIS was established under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act (CMVSA) of 1986 and is based on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) in 49 CFR 383 and 384.
3 Years of Employment History to include:
- General employment verification of all former employers for the 3 years prior to the application date or a record of a good faith effort.
- Safety Performance History data from all former DOT-regulated employers for the 3 years prior to the application date or a record of a good faith effort.
- Flagging of employment gaps: NAPS will contact the applicant to inquire about and attempt to fill any gaps located in the driver’s employment history, and will include any admitted time spent unemployed, as a student, and/or incarcerated.
Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) – A PSP record contains a driver’s most recent 5 years of crash data and the most recent 3 years of roadside inspection data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) database. MCMIS is a federal government database, which is different from the state data sources used to generate Motor Vehicle Records. The PSP is a voluntary product available to both carriers and drivers.
A PSP record displays the motor carrier for whom the driver was operating for at the time of the crash or inspection. It also shows the location and date that a crash or inspection occurred. Additional safety details about crashes such as injuries, fatalities, and towaways are included in a PSP record. Likewise, inspections show details whether a vehicle was placed out of service. The PSP record does not contain a score.
The record displays a snapshot in time, based on the most recent MCMIS data load to the PSP system. A new snapshot is uploaded approximately once per month.
At NAPS, we want to help you make the hiring process easier. So, we compiled this list of staffing companies that specialize in DOT compliant staffing for the trucking industry. While this is not an all-inclusive list, we have listed several firms in one convenient location. Feel free to suggest other companies you have worked with successfully. Here are just a few who specialize in DOT compliant staffing:
NAPS wants to be a helpful source of information for the trucking industry. As such, we are here to provide useful links and information in addition to our DOT compliant screening solutions. Here is a link to the current diesel fuel prices in the US according to the U.S Energy Information Administration:
What is happening in your industry? Here’s a list of useful links to industry news. You will find updates and useful information related to the trucking industry to include information on hiring practices for DOT compliant businesses.
