The Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) is a record of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver’s safety history, designed to help motor carriers make informed hiring decisions. This record compiles detailed information about a driver’s past performance, acting as a snapshot of their compliance and safety behavior on the road. Understanding the PSP is important for professional drivers and trucking companies alike, as a clean report can significantly improve job prospects and a carrier’s overall safety profile. The program provides a standardized method for assessing driver risk and promoting transparency in the hiring process.
What is the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP)?
The Pre-Employment Screening Program is an online service managed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that provides access to a commercial driver’s safety performance data. This system was implemented under the authority of Title 49 of the U.S. Code, Section 31150, which mandated the electronic availability of crash and inspection data for pre-employment screening. The FMCSA administers the program, currently provided through a third-party vendor, NIC Technologies.
The goal of the PSP is to give potential employers a clear picture of a driver’s safety history to aid in employment decisions. While the program is voluntary for carriers, it has become a widely adopted industry best practice for driver qualification. Carriers must obtain a driver’s written authorization before accessing their PSP record, ensuring compliance with federal regulations.
Detailed Contents of a PSP Report
A PSP report is a compilation of a driver’s safety-related events pulled directly from the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) database. The report is distinct from a state-issued Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) because it includes violations documented during a roadside inspection, even if they did not result in a conviction or citation. This centralized federal record gives employers a comprehensive safety profile not limited by state boundaries or specific traffic court outcomes.
Crash History
The PSP report includes a commercial driver’s most recent five years of crash data. This data covers all crashes that meet the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) definition of “reportable,” meaning any crash involving a commercial motor vehicle resulting in a fatality, injury, or vehicle tow-away. The report provides details for each event, such as the date, location, the motor carrier the driver was working for, and the crash severity.
Roadside Inspection Violations
The second component covers a driver’s roadside inspection violations over the most recent three years. This section lists all driver-related violations found during inspections, recorded regardless of whether a citation was issued. Common examples include violations related to Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules, drug or alcohol infractions, improper licensing, and vehicle maintenance issues attributed to the driver. The report also specifies if the violation resulted in an out-of-service order, indicating a serious safety concern that required the driver or vehicle to be removed from service.
How Carriers Utilize PSP in Hiring Decisions
Motor carriers use the PSP report as a risk assessment tool to measure a prospective driver’s safety behavior and potential liability. The data helps companies verify a driver’s self-reported history and evaluate whether past performance aligns with the carrier’s safety standards and insurance requirements. A driver with frequent violations or serious out-of-service orders is often flagged as a high-risk candidate.
Many carriers establish quantifiable thresholds for hiring, such as declining applicants who exceed a certain number of violations within the three-year look-back period. For instance, a policy might disqualify a candidate with any drug or alcohol violation or a high frequency of HOS infractions. PSP data is used in conjunction with other pre-employment screening processes, such as MVRs and background checks, to form a complete qualification decision. Carriers utilizing the PSP have consistently demonstrated lower crash rates and fewer out-of-service incidents, reinforcing the program’s value as a safety management strategy.
Obtaining and Reviewing Your PSP Report
Professional drivers should obtain and review their own PSP report to ensure accuracy and prepare for the job application process. The most direct way to access the report is by visiting the official FMCSA PSP website. A driver must provide identification, such as their commercial driver’s license (CDL) number and state of issuance, to process the request.
There is a nominal fee, typically around $10, for a driver to purchase a copy of their PSP record. Regularly reviewing the report allows a driver to identify potential errors or discrepancies before a prospective employer sees the data. This proactive management ensures a driver’s record accurately reflects their safety performance, positioning them more favorably for employment.
The Process for Disputing Inaccurate PSP Data
If a driver identifies inaccurate information on their PSP report, a formal procedure exists to request a correction. The FMCSA utilizes the DataQs system for drivers and carriers to request and track a review of data they believe to be incomplete or incorrect. This process is initiated by filing a Request for Data Review (RDR) through the DataQs website.
A dispute must be grounded in a claim of factual error, such as incorrect driver identification, an inaccurate violation code, or a mistake in the recorded outcome of a citation. Drivers must submit supporting documentation, such as police reports, court disposition papers, or inspection reports, to substantiate their claim. The request is then routed to the state agency or FMCSA office responsible for the original data entry for review, and resolution time can vary depending on the reviewing agency.