Due to the genuine danger that can come from large trucks, it’s absolutely vital to know that your drivers are capable of doing the job – and that’s not just good advice; it’s the law. Under Federal Rule 391, anyone employing professional drivers operating vehicles over 10,000 pounds must maintain a Driver Qualification (DQ) File for every driver.
The DQ file contains numerous documents and information necessary to prove, on-demand, that your drivers are capable of doing their jobs safely. That makes this a critical piece of documentation to have and maintain.
Documentation Needed for Driver Qualification File Management
There are numerous pieces of information on your drivers that you must be able to produce on-demand as part of their DQ file. These include:
Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs)
You must maintain documentation of vehicle records for every driver, covering every state in which they’ve held a license or permit in the last three years. These records should be updated on an annual basis, to reflect the most current past-three-year period.
Previous Employer Requests and Responses
As with MVRs, you must also maintain personnel investigation requests and responses from the past three years, for every employer the driver has previously worked with during that period. This includes all responses from previous employers, as well as any situations where previous employers failed to respond to requests. If the driver has held no previous DOT-regulation positions, this should be documented as well.
Medical Examination Certificates
You must maintain documentation on the physical fitness of every applicable driver. At a minimum, medical examinations must be conducted at least once every 24 months. In some cases, if the worker has documented health problems, this minimum may be lower. This information must always be kept on file, including the medical examiner’s status.
Pre-Employment Drug & Alcohol Testing
All employers must drug and alcohol test their drivers prior to employment, for anyone holding a Commercial Driver’s License. The documentation of the test – and their passing of it – should be kept in your DQ file.
Driver Qualification File Management Solutions
Driver qualification file management can be a hassle, but VLC makes it easier with DQMConnect™ – our custom solution for managing and automating DQ-related tasks. Click here to learn more, and schedule a 30-day free trial!
