Documents You Don't Want to Lose
By Derek Hinton of Layover.com
For whatever reason, I’ve heard versions of the same story several times over the past month: “I wasn’t really even looking for a job, but this dedicated route came open I heard about over at ‘XYZ Trucking’. They were moving fast and asked for my ‘X’ and I couldn’t find it. Anyway, by the time I got what I needed, they said they had the route filled.”
There are several documents you should be able to lay your hands on quickly even if you are not looking for a job. You should be at least somewhat prepared when an opportunity presents itself or, on the other hand, you find yourself jobless.
You should be able to produce the following documents even if you’re not looking for a job:
- Your Employment History with accurate dates of service up to your current employment. You will need this information for the past 10 years for commercial driving employment. You will need the past three years of all employment. It is important to make sure that inaccurate information is not being reported by a previous employer. If so, get it corrected before the inaccurate information causes you to miss a job opportunity. A good way to accomplish both of these goals is to get a copy of your DAC Report.
- An Accident Report, especially if you’ve had an accident that shows up on your MVR, DAC or PSP that wasn’t your fault. Accidents/Crashes can be a quick killer of your chances. If your truck got hit by the little old lady driving the Buick Regal who failed to see the stop sign, the accident may show up on your MVR as “ACCIDENT”. Make sure you have the accident report to show the details.
- If you were in the military, especially in the past 10 years, have a copy of your DD214. Many motor carriers love to recruit past military personnel. The discipline required seems to translate well for commercial driving. Have a copy of your discharge papers.
- If you have attended a driving school or received safe driving awards, keep a copy. Employers want to verify your training and hire a safe driver.
- You should also obtain your PSP Report. This report contains 5 years of crash data and 3 years of inspection data. With CSA, employers are increasingly looking at this report prior to hiring drivers. And again, the reports can be wrong and there are ways to dispute the information. You want to do this before—not after the information has hurt you.
- Finally you should know what shows on your MVR. Whether you’ve received citations or not, there may be something on your MVR that can affect your driving status.
It’s maddening to miss a job you should have got or go without a paycheck because of paperwork. Assemble just a basic file of documents and keep it safe. DOTJobHistory can obtain, help you correct and securely store all this information for instant use. But regardless of whether you use DOTJobHistory or do it yourself, it pays to be prepared.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Rumors continue to circulate that the FMCSA is discussing the idea of including drivers in the ranking system under CSA, and making that driver safety data public.
The FMCSA is said to be seeking the necessary authority to rate CDL drivers as part of the next highway bill.
A source within FMCSA stressed that making public the driver percentile rankings in the CSA BASICs “has always been the long-term vision.” Currently, drivers are not ranked against their peers in the BASICs, and data from drivers’ inspection histories is only accessible officially by prospective employers through the Pre-Employment Screening Program.
A recently released five-year plan (2011-2015) was released by the FMCSA. It made no specific mention of the concept of ranking drivers, suggesting achieving this goal could be more than five years away. However, the plan does refer to continuing development of “a methodology to assess the safety fitness of drivers to further identify unsafe drivers who should not be in the industry.”
Making driver safety data and rankings public may be a bigger project than FMCSA and Congress will feel is worth the trouble, says Joe Rajkovacz, government affairs specialist with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).
Regardless of the outcome, this is certain to be an extremely contentious topic.
I encourage you to express your thoughts on the subject by commenting on this post.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Throughout the trucking industry, 2010 proved to be a year full of safety and regulatory changes – from driver distraction and a ban on texting to CSA 2010 and a mandate for electronic logs.
This Year in Review highlights some of the most widely followed topics throughout the year.
CSA 2010
Distracted Driving
Electronic Onboard Recorders (EOBRs)
Hours of Service (HOS)
Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP)
Sleep Apnea
Various
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The FMCSA’s new safety program, CSA 2010, will be officially kicking off at the end of November. If you’re a professional CDL driver, it’s important to be reminded of some of the program’s basics to ensure you’re prepared.
The best place to begin is at the FMCSA’s CSA 2010 website (http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/), the official resource for information about this new safety program.
The FMCSA has produced a few great tools specifically for CDL drivers:
- A presentation titled “CSA 2010 for Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers” is designed to educate professional drivers about CSA 2010. In addition to covering what CSA 2010 means to CDL drivers, the presentation is designed to clarify misinformation concerning professional drivers under CSA 2010. "If you are a driver or need to educate drivers, check out this presentation," FMCSA says.
- A two-page document called “CSA 2010: Just the Facts” is intended to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding CSA 2010. “Just the Facts” identifies 15 facts about the program that are commonly misunderstood.
- CDL drivers, as well as carriers, now have access to another great tool - the new Pre-employment Screening Program, or PSP. Although not technically a part of CSA 2010, the information collected in the PSP is the same data that’s used to calculate and measure compliance under the new program – roadside inspection and crash data.
If you feel comfortable with your understanding of CSA 2010, and you’d like to see how you rank in your CSA 2010 knowledge, you can try your hand at CCJ’s CSA 2010 Quiz. Good luck!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
One of the many developments in the trucking industry this year is the new Pre-employment Screening Program, or PSP.
This national-level program, which was launched in May 2010, allows employers access to prospective drivers’ roadside inspection history – information from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) that’s not available on a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).
A PSP record contains up to five years of driver crash data and three years of inspection data, regardless of the state or jurisdiction. Access to this information can help employers review the crash and serious safety violation histories of prospective drivers as part of the hiring process. The new program is voluntary, and a carrier must obtain the driver’s written consent to access their PSP record.
Prospective employers aren’t the only ones who have access to this data, though – drivers are able to see their own records as well. There’s no registration or subscription fee for individual drivers, but there is a $10 charge to retrieve their PSP record. To access your PSP, go to http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov. This site also includes a list of frequently asked questions.
Drivers are encouraged to look at their records to ensure accuracy. Incorrect information can be challenged through the FMCSA’s DataQs system: https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/login.asp.
It’s only a matter of time before the PSP record becomes a necessary part of every company’s hiring process. Until then, drivers who run their own record and share it with potential employers could be in a better position to negotiate a potential job opportunity. It will go a long way in helping them to “stand out”, especially if the PSP record is free from any serious safety violations.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Last week, Driving Ambition, in conjunction with the Tennessee Trucking Association, hosted and sponsored A 3rd CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminar featuring former FMCSA Administrator John Hill and FMCSA TN Division Administrator Jon Dierberger.
The seminar was held in Nashville, TN at the Airport Marriott. Both Hill and Dierberger spoke to a full house of nearly 100 people about CSA 2010, as well as a handful of other FMCSA initiatives that we can expect to see this year.
Driving Ambition will be hosting and sponsoring a 4th Seminar – again in Indianapolis, IN on July 27th. For more information on this upcoming Seminar, click here.
To view a .pdf of each of the PowerPoint Presentations from the Nashville Seminar, click on the respective links below:
John Hill - PowerPoint Presentation
Jon Dierberger - PowerPoint Presentation
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Due to the popular demand after holding two sold-out seminars in Indianapolis and Cincinnati earlier this year, Driving Ambition is proud to be hosting and sponsoring two additional CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminars featuring former FMCSA Administrator John Hill:
Thursday, July 15, 2010 - Nashville, TN (in conjunction with the Tennessee Trucking Association)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - Indianapolis, IN (in conjunction with the Indiana Motor Truck Association)
These seminars are designed to educate motor carriers on the broad implications that CSA 2010, as well as many other FMCSA initiatives will bring. For more information on the upcoming seminars, and for testimonials from previously held seminars, click here.
If there is one seminar you attend all year, this is it!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The FMCSA will be hosting a webinar on the new Pre-Employment Screening Program - providing an overview of the PSP program, and demonstrations of both the motor carrier and commercial driver online services. The webinar is scheduled for June 23, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.
The Pre-Employment Screening Program is a new, national-level program designed to offer motor carriers and commercial drivers electronic access to drivers' records from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS).
A PSP record contains a driver's crash and inspection history to help motor carriers make more informed hiring decisions. It allows carriers to take the crash and inspection history of drivers into account when deciding on hiring new employees.
The new program is voluntary, and a carrier must obtain the driver's written consent to access.
How to Register
You can register by going to http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/art-webinars-future.aspand clicking on the heading "Pre-employment Screening Program Online Service Demonstration." You will be emailed a confirmation notice within 24 hours of registration that will provide information on how to participate.
If you are unable to participate in the FMCSA's webinar, HireRight (USIS/DAC Services) will be hosting a PSP webinar the following day, on Thursday, June 24, at 2 p.m. Easter time. To join the HireRight's webinar, go online to https://hirerightevents.webex.com/ and put in event number 924046459.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Last week, Driving Ambition hosted and sponsored its 2nd CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminar featuring former FMCSA Administrator John Hill.
The seminar was held in Cincinnati, OH on May 20. The first such seminar took place in March in Indianapolis, IN. For both seminars, John Hill spoke to a full house of approximately 100 people about CSA 2010, and a handful of other FMCSA initiatives that we can expect to see this year.
Former FMCSA Administrator Hill stressed the importance for carriers, as well as CDL drivers, to become extremely familiar with CSA 2010 - especially in light of a recent survey stating that barely 50% of carriers are remotely familiar with CSA 2010.
To view a .pdf of the PowerPoint used during John Hill's presentation, click here.
Driving Ambition will be sponsoring at least two more CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminars this year - both in July - in Nashville, TN and again in Indianapolis, IN. Click here for more information.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
CSA 2010 is one of a handful of significant safety initiatives being rolled out by the FMCSA this year. Described as a "game changer", it will have a lasting effect on every carrier and truck driver in the industry.
To keep our friends in the transportation industry informed, Driving Ambition will be hosting a special CSA 2010 / FMCSA Seminar on Thursday, May 20th, in Cincinnati, OH featuring former FMCSA Admininistrator John Hill. The cost to attend the Seminar is only $25.00 and includes buffet breakfast. Registration and breakfast is from 8am-9am, followed by Mr. Hill's presentation from 9am-Noon.
What can we expect from the FMCSA in 2010?
In addition to covering CSA 2010, Mr. Hill will offer his unique perspective on a variety of other FMCSA safety and regulatory measures that will have a lasting impact on the industry.
We hope you can join us for the most important seminar of the year. Deadline to register is Tuesday, May 18th.
Click here to register now (credit cards are accepted).
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.