Tougher Employment Screening for Commercial Truckers Make the Roads Safer
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided that in December 2009, commercial carriers will be able to electronically access their applicants’ driver inspections and accident histories. This is a great stride in employment screening for the commercial trucking industry for both employers and employees because records will be easy to access for both parties. The benefit for the commercial trucking companies is that they will have full access to safety and inspection records prior to making a hiring decision.
At the same token, the electronic information available in the upcoming employment background screening can be used to help truckers quickly show their potential employers that they would be a safe driver to hire. The system is designed so that drivers can quickly correct any discrepancies on their records and motivates them to keep their records clean. This is a novel idea because the incentive for both the employee and employer are present: drivers are motivated to drive safely so they can continue getting jobs while employers feel confident that they are making safe hiring decisions every time. The safest drivers get hired, the roadways are safer, and the commercial trucking companies enjoy less liability for their drivers.
According to a recent article on the Business Insurance Web site, this idea has been in the making for about 7 years. The American Trucking Association fully supports the new electronic database because it will keep the roads safer. Since drivers’ records will be available including their inspections, accidents, and moving violations, the ATA knows that the new employment screening database will mean progress for the trucking industry. They will also provide roadside inspection and compliance histories as well as motor carrier census information. The data is going to come from the nearly 4 million commercial driver records compiled and gathered by the FMCA from the state enforcement agencies who issue the violations, crash records, and inspection reports.
Schneider National, Inc. commented in the Business Insurance online report saying, “This program is long overdue, but will have a positive impact on the commercial trucking industry. This is yet another component of our already rigorous employment screening process.” The spokesperson went on to add that this new database could eventually lead to safety ratings for drivers that work similarly to the ratings that already exist for commercial trucking companies. They also stated that checking the drivers’ motor vehicle records, drug-test results, and speaking to prior motor carrier employers will complete the employment background screening process by further enhancing it.
In the same way that this new database will help the trucking industry, there are new electronic databases available to professional employment screening companies like Accu-Screen. With full disclosure of motor vehicle records, drug screening, past criminal convictions and employment history, checking on potential employees is more thorough than ever before. By making sure that the right employees are hired from the start, employers can save time, money, and the headache of inadvertently hiring the “employee from hell”.
