FMCSA's Pre-Employment Screening Program Wins Support
The voluntary program announced May 11 allows trucking firms to investigate potential employees' history of crashes and serious safety violations, an idea long supported by the American Trucking Associations.
Trucking firms now can enroll in a government program that allows them to explore the backgrounds of driver applicants before hiring them. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Pre-Employment Screening Program, announced May 11, lets motor carriers pay $10 for each requested driver history (up to five years of crash data and up to three years of inspection data) after they pay an annual subscription fee of $100 – discounted to $25 for carriers with fewer than 100 power units. A contractor, National Information Consortium Technologies, LLC, will provide the data to motor carriers with the operator applicant's written consent.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has supported such a program for eight years in its safety agenda. ATA Senior Vice President Dave Osiecki said ATA will encourage the contractor to price the new service so that the data are widely available in the industry. "Pre-screening helps to ensure that drivers with poor safety records are not allowed to hide their past actions," he said.
The data come from FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System, which includes state-reported crashes, motor carrier census data, and compliance review results. For more information about the Pre-Employment Screening Program, which Congress directed DOT to create in the current federal highway funding law, visit this site.
On May 24, FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro announced eight new members of her agency's Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee. The eight will begin their two-year terms June 8. They are:
- Kevin O'Brien, director of Motor Carrier and Driver Safety Services, New York Department of Motor Vehicles
- LaMont Byrd, director of Health and Safety Department, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- Norman Dofflemyer, Commercial Motor Vehicle Division dommander, Maryland Department of State Police
- Thomas Jacques, Commercial Motor Vehicle enforcement officer, Pittsburgh, Pa. Bureau of Police
- John Lannen, executive director, Truck Safety Coalition
- Jane Mathis, board member, Parents Against Tired Truckers
- Peter Pantuso, president and CEO, American Bus Association
- Danny Schnautz, truck driver, Clark Freight Lines, Inc.