How Far Back Do Trucking Companies Check Driving Records?

Keeping the roads safe requires over-the-road freight companies to exercise due diligence over the drivers they hire. Learn how far back the required driving record checks go and what information they can reveal.

How Far Back Do Trucking Companies Check Driving Records?

Almost three-quarters of the United States' entire freight shipment volume travels over the road by truck every year. The trucking industry is a sprawling, complex, and extremely vital economic lifeline that connects people and businesses daily. For some people, trucking jobs can be a rewarding means to build a career around work that fits an individual's personal preferences. From localized jobs that ensure drivers enjoy every weekend at home to long-haul, heavy-duty trucking, one thing is more important than anything else: safety.

Every year, tens of thousands of people die in car crashes, and many more suffer life-changing injuries. Given the enormous weight and high speed often involved in trucking operations, it is essential to ensure that those behind the wheel always operate as safely as possible. This demand has led to many of the regulations in place today, such as the rules that strictly govern how many hours a trucker may drive in a day before a mandatory rest period.

Making the roads safer begins with the hiring process. Like many jobs, obtaining a position with a trucking company requires passing a background check. These checks consider many sources of information, including criminal history databases. However, one of the most critical parts of the process is checking the individual's past driving records.

How Many Years Does a Driving Record Check Include?

The FMCSA, or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, lays out the rules and regulations that govern how freight carriers and trucking operators must operate. As part of these rules, operators must source and review the last three years of an individual's driving history. They must also investigate the individual's driving history in any states where the driver is or has been previously licensed. Applicants holding a current CDL must also disclose all commercial motor vehicle employers they have worked for in the past ten years. Non-CDL holders only need to disclose three years.

You may sometimes hear the total package of background investigations for truckers referred to as a DOT background check, since the Department of Transportation sets the regulations.

What Do Employers Look for in Driving Records?

The purpose of reviewing three years’ worth of driving records from an applicant is to establish whether they are trustworthy enough to get behind the wheel of a big rig. Employers should look for evidence of any accidents first, then for traffic infractions and citations from the police. Offenses such as careless or reckless driving, DUI, and other serious abuses of road rules may be red flags and should become a topic for discussion with the applicant. Other potential red flags include driving with a suspended license.

Along with drug and alcohol screenings and criminal background checks, the driving record check is one of the most important steps to safely hiring drivers. For employers, obtaining these reports is fast and easy with our help. For individuals exploring trucking as a profession, it is possible to review your own driving record, too. Know what to expect from the process and be prepared to make the right choices to keep the roads safe and the freight flowing.