The trucking and transportation industry is perhaps the most unique in the economy. This is precisely because this industry is often entrusted with moving high value assets belonging to other businesses within the shortest time possible. The slightest mishap can not only lead to losses worth millions of dollars, in scenarios where hazardous materials involved, a mishap can lead to tremendous ecological disaster.
To further complicate matters, the trucking and transportation industry is heavily regulated. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) places strict standards for individuals to meet in order to qualify to operate commercial motor vehicles. Any company which hires individuals who don’t meet these standards can find itself under the severest of sanctions.
The bottom line is that any company operating within the trucking and transportation industry cannot afford to get it wrong when hiring. The stakes are just too high. Each individual needs to be thoroughly investigated to ensure that they not only meet the DOT standards, but are also have the right ethical and temperamental attributes to warrant them to be entrusted with the company’s often costly assets. This is where we come in.
At Crimcheck, we fully understand the strict standards required of companies operating within the trucking and transportation industry. This is thanks to our decades of experience serving the industry, actually since 1991.
We know that clients can be brutal with their demands, and that regulators can be unforgiving of the slightest breaches. As such, we have designed a background check regime which meets the unique requirements of the industry.
Core Trucking & Transportation Industry Checks
Throughout the years, organizations in the transportation industry have requested specific types of checks in line with DOT requirements for commercial vehicle operators. These checks have formed the core of our employee checks for the trucking and transportation industry.
They include the following:
Criminal Background Checks
Conducting a thorough investigation of the person’s criminal record history at federal, state and local levels. This reveals any criminal convictions (for both misdemeanors and felonies), fines, cautions and all other legal penalties imposed on the person. We can find all criminal records.
Commercial Driver’s License Checks
In situations where prospective drivers are required to have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), we conduct through checks regarding the license. This includes verifying the license authenticity, confirming particulars (e.g. license number, date issued, expiry date, license status), and investigating pertinent issues regarding the license (i.e. suspensions, violations, and driving restrictions).
Beyond just checking a single license, we investigate all the previous licenses held by the driver and report any issues within the states where the license was issued and the driver operated.
DOT Employment Verification
Commercial drivers working under the regulations for the following are required to have pre employment mandated driving and other record checks.
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Maritime Administration fall under the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations
Crimcheck specializes in providing mandated background checks and driving record verifications, DOT Employment Verifications and Drug and Alcohol Testing for those in the trucking and transportation industry. We can implement annual testing and help you maintain industry regulated compliance.
The DOT employment verification is a more detailed investigation of a candidate’s employment history. A driver’s DOT background check needs details specific information from the past 3 years. DOT employment verifications must be completed within 30 days of the candidate being hired, per the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Drug & Alcohol Testing
One of the most critical requirements for drivers operating commercial vehicles is that they are drug-free and alcohol-free OR One of the most critical requirements for drivers operating commercial vehicles is that they are drug and alcohol free. The DOT, as well as professional bodies like the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) emphasize this. For the DOT, employing drugged up drivers is inexcusable – and the sanctions levied on employers who violate this are extremely severe.
The challenge for employers is that people are coming up with ever ingenious ways to beat standardized drug tests (like urine sample analysis). At Crimcheck, we know this. As such, we employ the most sophisticated testing regimes (and schedules) to ensure that anyone with a drug problem is identified.
We employ a number of testing approaches from common ones (like urine analysis, saliva analysis, blood testing) to more rarely used approaches like hair follicle analysis. This enables us to identify 99.9% of abused substances from alcohol and illegal drugs (like cocaine and heroin) to abused medical prescription drugs (like Oxycodone, Codeine and Fentanyl) and alcohol. Our labs have sophisticated equipment and highly experienced specialists to offer you the most thorough testing possible.
Health Screening
The DOT and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) place certain minimum health requirements for driving positions which require holders of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Under normal circumstances, a CDL holder requires a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (ME Certificate) which must be valid in order for them to operate commercial vehicles.
Despite all this, it is standard practice for employers to conduct their own pre-employment health screening to ensure that the drivers are up to par with the physical and health standards required for the job application. This is where Crimcheck comes in. We have a comprehensive health screening system which ascertains that a person is in peak health to meet the employer’s expectations.
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Other Background Checks
There other categories of background checks which have almost become standard when conducting pre-employment screening, and are part and parcel of the trucking and transportation industry checks.
These include:
Professional License Checks – we thoroughly verify the authenticity of any professional licenses presented by the applicant to ensure their genuineness.
Educational Verification – we conduct an exhaustive investigation into the applicant’s academic credentials to ensure that they’re accurate reflections of their academic achievements.
Employment Verification – we investigate every single bit of employment history presented by the applicant, check all the references to identify any flaws.
Why You Need Our Checks
If you’re operating within the trucking and transportation industry, you do need Crimcheck’s services. This is because our checks ensure you of the following:
1. Compliance with Industry Standards
The DOT, FMCSA, and even associations like AAMVA place certain minimal standards for people who operate commercial vehicles. Our background checks can help you to hire individuals who are cleared to work within the industry. Having such employees not only protects you against code violations, it also gives your clients confidence that their assets will be in safe hands.
2. Compliance with Employee Screening Standards
All Crimcheck’s background checks are held in compliance with standard set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other codes set by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This means that all background checks are carried out not just according to the federal and state laws, but also in line with the highest standards in the background checks industry.
3. Customized Background Checks
All our background checks are fully customized to each client’s unique needs. This is because we fully understands that each organisation with the trucking and transportation industry has its own processes, needs and standards. Therefore, we tailor our services to ensure that you get exactly what you need – and don’t have to pay for extras which you don’t need.
4. Fast Turn Around
We have developed a system for delivering exhaustive background checks within the shortest time possible. Therefore, in case you need to fill in some positions quite quickly, you can count on us to deliver background checks very quickly.
Get your quote.
We are ready to create for you a customized background checking service for your trucking or transportation organization. Just contact us and watch with amazement as we exceed your expectations with excellent customer service and turnaround times. To get in touch right away, click here.
