It's no surprise - fleets are focused on hiring and retaining good drivers. With sign-on bonuses averaging $7,000, the cost to replace a fully trained driver exceeding $10,000, the risk of productivity losses, and a national driver shortage — fleets need to hire right the first time. Inaccurate and insufficient applicant information wastes time and money. Incomplete files increase the risk of accidents and audits.
Driver Hiring
Finding the Best Drivers Faster
Managing DOT Driver Applicant & Hiring Processes
Encompass provides:
Encompass eliminates the hiring paper shuffle. Applicant data is automatically transferred to the Encompass back office so you can manage the entire process digitally — from conducting background investigations and inquiries to managing your pre-qualification checklist.
Use Encompass to decrease costs by standardizing the hiring process, eliminating redundant tasks, and ensuring your fleet complies with all DOT hiring requirements and paperwork.
"Encompass makes hiring and employee set up easy. Every requirement is in there so you can see if you are missing anything, or if something is coming due. And if you have an audit, you can print all the documents. It looks nice and professional."
Tony Naro
General Manager
"It's one thing to hire a new driver and do all the paperwork, but once you put that file away, you need reminders to keep everything updated. I don't know how other companies stay DOT compliant without a system like Encompass."
Theresa Parker
Transportation Safety Supervisor
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Online Driver Applicants & Applications
Use Encompass to automate and streamline your online driver application process.
- Set up customized driver applicant screening criteria
- Create customized driver applications to post on your website and jobsites
- Capture digital signatures with online consent
- Store unlimited applications
Safety Performance History Requests
Stay on top of SPHRs with alerts and notifications of missing or due forms, as well as other required documentation. You can print SPHRs for new and previous employees and document your actions, requests and responses.
Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs)
Encompass helps you comply with new hire and annual Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) by providing alerts and notifications of pending MVRs that must be done. MVRs are searchable and can be uploaded and stored indefinitely. Encompass improves MVR compliance by automating the generation of the required forms for submission and certification.
With Encompass MVR Monitoring, you get on-demand and ongoing monitoring of your drivers' motor vehicle records. Negative events you'll be notified of (varying by state) include:
- Illegal maneuvers
- Speeding
- License suspensions
- Revocations
- Medical card downgrades
- And more
FAQs
While some companies will automatically deny incomplete applications, consider discussing them with the driver. If the applicant's responses are adequate, you can allow the driver to update the application. Be sure to document what was updated. With the shortage of drivers, you never want to miss the opportunity to hire a good driver.
The regulations for required background investigation are found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations at §391.23. They require that you:
- Get a motor vehicle record (MVR) from each state the driver was licensed in over the previous three years, and
- Perform a safety performance history (SPH) check with all DOT-regulated employers the applicant has worked at during the previous three years
It’s best practice to identify gaps in employment including periods of unemployment and self-employment. Any gap over 30 days should be investigated. While this is not directly required in the regulations, it’s the kind of activity that can keep you from hiring a driver that you really don’t want to hire. Drivers that are trying to hide a previous employer will:
- Omit the carrier from the employment history, leaving a gap;
- Shift employment dates at the surrounding employers to hide the period the driver was employed at the carrier; or
- Claim they were self-employed during the time they were at the carrier.
To find out if this is the case, spot and “close” the gaps in the driver’s employment record by:
- Having the driver provide unemployment records, such as filing records or payment receipts
- Verifying the dates of employment at all past employers
- Obtaining tax or business records, or supplier/vendor contacts, if the driver claims they were self-employed or “working for cash."
Regulations require that a driver complete a road test with your company and be issued a certificate of road test (see §391.31) before operating a commercial vehicle for your company.
There are alternative options to doing the road test:
- Driver presenting you with a CDL operator’s license
- The driver presents you with a road test certificate from a previous or current employer (see §391.33 for more information on acceptable equivalents).
However, as driving is the highest-risk activity your drivers are involved in and has the highest consequences, it is a best practice to conduct your road tests rather than accept one of the equivalents.
Build Your Compliance Knowledge
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DQ Inventory Worksheet
This fillable checklist will help you identify which driver qualification requirements apply to your operation.
Electronic DOT Recordkeeping
In today's world of off-site DOT audits, you must maintain your records to the highest standards.
Driver Hiring - No Room for Error
Having the right processes in place is essential to hire good drivers. Get expert guidance on how to identify and hire the best drivers.
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