Driver Qualifications (DQ) Files Can Be Tricky
We Want To Help You Know Exactly What Needs To Be In Them
We have been getting tons of questions about drive files, so we thought we would take a moment and explain exactly what you need and how long you need to keep it. The federal government did a great job when they wrote the regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV’s). We are going to make it super clear.
Here’s What You Need In Every Driver File:
Driver application 391.21
- See the notes below
Annual Driver Review 391.25(a)
- Must be completed within the first year
- Completed annually
- Keep the original
- Last 3 years
Certificate of Violations
- Must be completed within the first year
- Completed annually
- Keep the original
- Last 3 years
Driver License
- Keep original
- Last 3 years
Medical Card
- The National registry number needs to be verified and documented:
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/national-registry-certified-medical-examiners-search - Keep original
- Last 3 years
Motor Vehicle Report
- Must be pulled within 30 days of employment
- Pulled Annually
- Also must be pulled within 15 days of medical card being renewed
- Keep original
- Last 3 years
Previous Employment verification (last 3 years)
- The best practice is to pull for every employer for last 3 years, even if they marked a non-DOT position
Road Test
- A CDL can be used as road test, except when
- Required when employees will be operating tankers
- Required when employees will be operating doubles or triples
All NON CDL drivers must have a road test
Entry Level Driver Training
- Required for all drivers that come to your company with no experience
- Best practice is to cover all employees
Drug and Alcohol clearing house results effective 1/6/2020
- Must be pulled prior to allowing driver to operate the CDL vehicle
- Pulled annually
- Keep original
- Keep 3 years
There you go; that’s all you need, right? Not quite it’s a bit more complicated than that, but don’t stress, we aren’t done yet.
