Driver Selection

Qualification Standards

Knowing the ability, experience and attitude of your drivers is a key factor in the selection process. An important area in this process is to establish qualification standards for new employees and existing employees who have driving duties. To enforce these standards, think about implementing the following driver qualification procedures.

Driver Age Requirements

The legal age for driving vehicles varies among the 50 states. Check requirements for driver's licenses in the United States.

Application for Employment

All driver applicants should complete an application for employment. You should include a Driving Position Supplement containing all of the information required for positions in which driving is required.

Sample Application Form - Driver Supplement

Driver applicants should list all former employers for the past (your number) of years. Any gaps in employment for more than a period, as determined by your company, should be satisfactorily accounted for on the application.

Licensing

Your company should obtain a legible copy of the license of all driver applicants. A review of the license should be conducted to be certain it is valid, has not expired, and is the appropriate for the class of vehicles in which driving is required.

Whenever driving company fleet vehicles or operating their personal vehicle for business purposes, employees should have in their possession a valid driver's license. Employees should notify their supervisor if their license is suspended, revoked, or expired.

Employees who drive vehicles, which require a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), should comply with your state Department of Motor Vehicles' requirements for medical examinations and license renewal.

Supervisors should maintain a system that insures all employees operating vehicles have the proper class of license and check licenses for current status at frequent intervals.

Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check and Evaluation

Your company should request a MVR for driver applicants being considered for employment in which driving company vehicles or operating their own vehicle for company business will be required. An MVR should be requested from every state the applicant has lived in during the past number years determined by your company.

The OSH Manager should review all MVR information to determine if driver applicant meets your company's qualification standards regarding driving records.

A formal review of the driver's MVR should be conducted on at least an annual basis to ensure that existing drivers are meeting the established qualification standards.

MVR´s are personal and confidential and should only be discussed with the driver or other persons authorized to know. The safety or human resource manager should receive results of the MVR check and ensure any needed corrective action is applied in a timely manner.

Driver Qualification Standards

To ensure that potential new and existing drivers meet your company's qualification standards for motor vehicle records as set forth in the Fleet Safety Plan, the following standards should be instituted:

1. Actions taken should be based on the number of points and violations shown from the MVR checks and evaluations.
2. Standards and penalties should be enforced for drivers involved in preventable accidents.

You may want to establish a point structure system to evaluate potential new and current driver motor vehicle records. Here is an example of an effective point system.

Take a look at the Sample Point Structure System.

Investigation of Previous Employment

Your company should contact all former and current employers of the driver applicant for at least the previous three years to verify as much of the following information as possible:

• Dates of employment
• Type of work performed
• Type of vehicle(s) operated
• Extent of driving experience
• Vehicle accident record
• Overall work history and performance

All former and current employer information gathered from the inquiries should be in writing and should be retained in the driver's (if hired) qualification file. In the event a former or current employer refuses to release information, a note stating this should be placed in the file.

The Safety Manager/HR Director should review all former and current employer information to determine if the driver applicant meets the hiring standards regarding past and current employment, and to determine if the applicant was truthful about information listed on the employment application.

Driver Performance

Your company should require all driver applicants who will need a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) for their driving position to successfully complete a road test examination prior to an offer of employment. Some companies waive this requirement if the employee will only be driving automobiles and mini vans and has a clean driving record.

• The road test examination should be performed in the type of vehicle the driver will operate.
• The driver's performance should be monitored during the selection process as well as at periodic intervals throughout the driver's career using information obtained form motor vehicle records and file data.

Driver Qualification File

The driver selection process should include developing a driver qualification file. Elements of this file may include such items as:

• Employment Application
• Interview notes
• MVR checks
• Driver training information
• Driver evaluation and performance reviews