Kentucky attorney Sanders says USDOT launches Pre-Employment Screening Program to allow commercial motor carriers to access driver inspection and crash records.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched its Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP), which allows commercial motor carrier companies to electronically access driver inspection and crash records as a part of the hiring process.

The Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) is a screening tool that allows motor carriers and individual drivers to purchase driving records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). Records are available for 24 hours a day via Web request. Driver Information Resource records purchased through PSP contain the most recent 5 years of crash data and 3 years of roadside inspection data from the FMCSA MCMIS system.

The Pre-Employment Screening Program offers access to up to five years of driver crash data and three years of inspection data regardless of the state or jurisdiction. By using driver safety information during pre-employment screening, commercial carriers will be able to better assess the potential safety risks of prospective driver-employees. PSP also gives drivers additional opportunities to verify the data in their driving history and correct any discrepancies. A driver’s records will be protected in accordance with federal privacy laws.

The Pre-Employment Screening Program is populated monthly by FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). The MCMIS is comprised of driver performance data including inspection and compliance review results, enforcement data, state-reported crashes, and motor carrier census data.

An operator-applicant will not receive separate notice from NIC that the information was released. However, it is mandatory that the motor carrier receive the operator-applicant’s written consent prior to the data being released.  Operator-applicants will be able to get a copy of their inspection and crash data in MCMIS through PSP for the prescribed fee. Motor carriers may continue to obtain driver safety performance information by submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to FMCSA http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/foia/foia.htm and operator-applicants may obtain their own information free of charge from FMCSA by submitting a Privacy Act request.

For complete details on the Pre-Employment Screening Program’s fees for driver safety records and how carriers and drivers can participate, visit http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov.