On Tuesday, May 11, the FMCSA launched its
Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), which allows commercial motor carrier companies to electronically access driver inspection and crash records.
The program provides real-time data, in the form of access to up to five years of driver crash data and three years of inspection data regardless of the state or jurisdiction, to help motor carriers review the crash and serious safety violation histories of prospective employees as part of the hiring process.
PSP is populated monthly by FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). MCMIS is comprised of driver performance data including inspection and compliance review results, enforcement data, state-reported crashes, and motor carrier census data - the same information that is used by agency staff and state police for enforcement.
The FMCSA has contracted with NIC Technologies to provide data electronically to carriers with the drivers' written consent. The carrier must enroll to participate in this program. Although participation in the program is voluntary, it's predicted that it will become standard practice in the hiring process. "It will become the standard of care in pretty short order...pretty soon it will become the de facto driver qualification verification", said former FMCSA Administrator John Hill.
Some key points to PSP:
*Registration is free but there will be a charge to use the system. Carriers with fewer than 100 power units must pay a $25 annual subscription fee and $10 for each record retrieved. Companies with more than 100 power units must pay a $100 subscription fee, plus the $10 per-record fee. Both are limited to 10 users. The agency will not charge a carrier that comes into the system through a third-party provider, although presumably the provider will charge its own fee. Individual drivers will not have to pay a subscription fee but will have to pay the $10 charge to retrieve their record.
*The data is protected by a number of federal laws, including the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. FMCSA will audit the program to confirm driver and company identity, and the accuracy of driver permission forms.
*The agency encourages drivers to look at their records. Incorrect information can be challenged through the agency's DataQs system: https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.asp.
To register for the program, go to www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov. The site includes a list of frequently asked questions. For specific questions about enrolling in the PSP program, please e-mail PSPenrollment@nicusa.com.
By Les Nugen, Marvin Johnson & Associates
The "good driver" has been given a bad name in a lot of companies. So much so that I am ready to proclaim that the "good driver" will be the one that puts you out of business. But Les, don't we all want good drivers working for us you ask? How can a good driver possibly put us out of business? Well, the answer depends on whose definition of a good driver that you use.
Let me give some all too frequent examples of how a good driver is defined:
- A driver tests positive on a drug test. The company wants to make an exception to their zero tolerance policy and keep him because - he is a "good driver".
- A driver has 3 out of service inspections, several speeding stops, and a following too closely showing on Safestat in just over a year and the company wants to keep her because - she is a "good driver".
- We analyze your collisions over the past several years and find that the same drivers show up several times in preventable accidents and they are kept around because - they are "good drivers".
When did the definition of a good driver get so twisted around anyway? A good driver does not behave anything like the scenarios listed above. A good driver does not put themselves, the people around them, or your company at risk. The drivers in the scenarios above repeatedly put all of these at risk.
The drivers in these scenarios are poison to company morale. Many drivers that are actually good drivers do not want to drive for companies who retain these types of drivers. If you have policies in place that are meant to control these types of behaviors then making exceptions to them to keep one of these drivers only makes the other drivers frustrated and untrusting of management.
With the changes coming about due to CSA 2010 these "good drivers" are going to lead to all kinds of interventions and interactions with the FMCSA. Eventually this can only lead to bad outcomes if enough of these interventions take place. Another issue that is starting to worry many legal experts in the industry is that with the new information that will be available to you on drivers' histories that there could be increases in accident settlements and negligent hiring or retention law suits. It is easier to make the case for this when the attorney can show that the driver had a pattern of violations and the company ignored it.
Knowing all of this, let's quit giving the actual good drivers in the industry a bad name. Drivers who have bad safety records are not good drivers no matter how many loads they will deliver on time or when dispatch is in a pinch. A truly good driver delivers the freight AND does it safely. In fact, why don't you go tell your drivers that really are good drivers how much you appreciate the job that they do for you. These drivers are the key to your company's success going forward.
written by Chandler Moody, Account Executive - Indianapolis, IN
There once was a time where there was a driver shortage and companies had to fight for drivers and accept drivers that they may have not otherwise wanted on the road. In a way times were good. There was enough business on the roads that companies were profitable and going into a growth phase was fairly painless. Cash flow was abundant. Companies invested in their in house staff and could take risks on so-so drivers because they had money to burn.
What happened????
We all know that the economy isn't where we want it to be. Freight rates are down. Fuel prices are up. Government regulation is about to hammer the industry. All of these combined together to force transportation businesses, and all businesses for that matter, to take a look at current business practices to operate leaner and more efficiently.
A lot of areas and man power were cut due to lack of cash flow eliminating positions and creating more responsibilities on fewer people. Now there are less recruiters with the burden falling on the HR department and usually the HR person.
This usually singular person now has to manage the entire driving and non-driving staff plus recruit and qualify new staff. ...That's a lot for anybody to handle.
Can things fall through the cracks???
YES!!!
Could hiring the wrong driver hurt the company???
YES!!!
With CSA 2010, driver verification and qualification becomes increasingly important. It takes work, and then once you get the driver in, how hard is it to rectify once you realize this person isn't the driver for you. Workers Comp fraud and Unemployment problems are rampant.
I give you the ultimate in removing the burden of recruiting, workers comp and unemployment risk. We can qualify top notch drivers and maintain them on our payroll, eliminating the risk of filing for unemployment and hitting your workers comp policy until you are sure they are a fit. We allow you to work the drivers and give them the ultimate road test.
How much more information could you have on a driver if you could see him or her work for 3 months before hiring?
Let Driving Ambition help you recruit drivers and get you the best drivers for the position. Then you can monitor the drivers and roll them to your company when you are ready. Give me a call and I can explain how it works.