Department of Transportation (DOT) employment verification is a mandatory requirement to get certain employment and driving information from a driver’s former employers prior to hiring. Information collected during the DOT verification and, ultimately, the truck driver recruiting process includes:

• Contact of past employers (for driving and non-driving positions)

• Type of motor vehicle driven with previous job

• Time at previous job

• Accident and incident history, including details on injuries and fatalities

• Previous alcohol test results with .04 or higher

• Previous positive drug test results

• Any refusals to take drug or alcohol test

• Any other safety performance history

• If there were any infractions, if the employee completed the return-to-duty process

According to 49 CFR 391.23, DOT verification requires these details from the past three years for all commercial drivers.

DOT employment verification is one of the best resources employers in the U.S. can use to review candidates that apply for available driver positions. Employment verification helps employers get a full picture of the candidate’s experience. This additional information is crucial to have before making a hiring decision. Furthermore, the DOT regulations require employment verifications be completed within the first 30 days after a driver is hired, so it’s a must-have on multiple levels. (More on that below.)

Any person who intends to drive a commercial motor vehicle requires DOT employment verification. Commercial motor vehicles, as defined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), are regulated by the DOT.

According to the Department of Transportation, any vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds is considered a commercial motor vehicle. If the vehicle transports more than a certain amount of passengers or is used in transporting hazardous materials, it may qualify as a commercial vehicle as well.

Note that possessing a commercial driver’s license (CDL) has no bearing on whether you require DOT verification or not. As long as the driver is applying to drive a commercial vehicle as defined by the DOT, DOT verification is mandatory.

The DOT regulates all trucking companies operating fleets within the United States. The DOT sets out standards that are monitored and enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). By abiding by these standards, the aim is to prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities on U.S. roads.

One of these standards requires employers to conduct prior employment verifications. As an employer, you want to verify the candidate’s experience, skills, and integrity. Too often, applications can be embellished to paint a picture that’s not representative of the candidate.

Some items employers need to look out for when conducting employment verification:

• Reasons for leaving previous jobs

• Length of time working for former employers

• Gaps in employment history

• DOT employment verification

• Technical skills and experience

Whether you manually verify the candidate yourself or use an online employment verification system, ensure you do your due diligence when conducting employment verifications on potential employees.

DOT employment verifications are required as part of current government regulations. Getting DOT employment verifications from all required prior employers is a necessary part of employing drivers.

Under DOT regulations, an employer has 30 days after the driver’s employment begins to complete all prior employment verifications. Xchange, Tenstreet’s electronic employment verification tool, returns these results in 0.88 days on average – ensuring you’re able to make hires fast.