What you don’t know can hurt you
As a business owner that operates a fleet, you have a huge responsibility to ensure that your drivers are not only competent and qualified, but also that they are safe drivers. Running a company that requires a fleet can be costly, especially if you have a trucking business, considering the costs of the vehicles, insurance, fuel, maintenance and other related expenses. But cutting corners on your driver application process or lowering your standards could not only be extremely dangerous, it could end up costing you everything.
Use background checks to qualify applicants
In the regular hiring process, it can be difficult to ascertain whether or not an applicant is being forthcoming when it comes to their background. Although questions about past employment, criminal history, driving violations and drug or alcohol use may be listed on the application, there’s really nothing stopping the potential candidate from withholding information or simply not telling the truth. Running a background check on each of your driver candidates is the solution.
What to look for
There are many different types of background checks you can use to determine if the applicant is suitable for a position as a driver in your fleet. It’s important to follow the proper protocol and to abide by local and federal compliance laws to ensure that you are not infringing on anyone’s rights when it comes to the privacy of certain information. That being said, when hiring a driver for your fleet, you want to make sure that he/she not only has all the training, experience and any certifications that are required, but also that they will be a safe, responsible addition to your team.
Here are some the different records that you should look into when running a background check on a candidate for your fleet:
- • Driving records (accidents, traffic violations, tickets)
- • Motor vehicle registrations
- • Results of drug or alcohol tests
- • History or treatment for chemical or alcohol dependency
- • Criminal history (arrests, violations)
- • Court cases
- • Medical history (any conditions that could affect his/her ability to drive)
- • Employment history (past driving positions and any past terminations)
- • Certifications
- • Licenses (if driving a rig for example, they would need a CDL; check for multiple licenses and/or multiple driving records)
- • Identity (social security, birthdate, name)
- • Sexual offender
When it comes to hiring drivers for your fleet, there’s nothing more critical than ensuring that each one will not be a hazard on the road. You not only have to think about the safety of your customers (if your drivers make deliveries), but also the safety of others sharing the road with your fleet. Running a background check will give you all the information you need to know that you’re hiring someone who’s qualified and will not endanger anyone or put your vehicles at risk for accidents or damage.
Protecting your fleet against risky drivers is a vital element to protecting your business and Sentinel Background Checks can help. Get started today and our experts will review your current hiring and screening process at no cost.