DAC & PSP Reports: Very Important To Understand Your Driving Record
Topic 18863 | Page 1
Hi, Jeff, glad you could join us. I have some questions to help fill out your story.
Like many a rookie, I've had my fair share of non-injury, minor fender benders.
How many is a "fair share"? What do you consider "minor"?True, the main office almost expects some bent metal. I accomplished that twice, both while backing into docks. And I had to turn in photos and my report both times.
I was recently dismissed from Roehl Transport, probably due to these minor fender benders, though I still haven't received any written details of reasons for my termination. As a rookie driver, there was never much real communication concerning my driving record & no detailed training to help me improve.
It is rare that a company would just tell an employee "Don't come back." Surely you had some face time with your boss or a safety officer. And sign a paper. Gee, a driver that goes a year, 100,000 miles, and they show you the door? I thought Roehl was better than that.
Also, after my first boo-boo, I was invited to take Swift's Close Quarter Driving Skills one-afternoon class. And I knew why I was there.
Yes, the DAC is the report for you. That's the one with nearly everything on it. When I pulled mine, neither backing incident is on it! How does this look?
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
I was told by our safety department that they do not report accidents to our home state. So unless a ticket is issued. The home state DMV record is untarnished. Also, the DAC is only updated after termination.
I'm not exactly sure why you needed your accident information in writing, or to have the termination explained in writing. Most states are at will states aren't they? You can be terminated for any reason.
Perhaps you should consider getting to know your department people. Call your logs rep, your safety rep, your citations/permits rep and ask about your record. Ask dispatch for more training if needed. Good luck in your next endeavour.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Thanks Errol & Rainy for taking time to comment here. I appreciate your input. Here's more details.
My DAC report shows successful CDL training, employment history & dates with Roehl. My State MVR is clear & I’m medically certified to drive. I have no drug/alcohol violations, no criminal background, no DOT Recordable violations. Unknown to me, the PSP did show two times I missed a scale.
My DAC shows five Non DOT Recordable accidents/incidents, four deemed preventable, 1 deemed non-preventable. All of these were off road/no speed incidents, 2 in crowded truck stops, 1 rest area & 1on a small side road just outside a drop yard. The non-preventable incident was in heavy traffic where a large piece of metal on the highway kicked up into my tandems & cut three brake lines. Luckily, I steered off the road before the tandem brakes locked.
I did take Roehl's Close Quarter Driving Skills class & passed with flying colors. I had good conversations with my logs rep/safety rep, didn't realize there might be a citations/permits rep. What I've learned from this whole rookie experience is I should've asked about my record & asked for more training earlier in the year.
Anyway, I've fallen off the horse, but I'm trying to get back on. Thanks.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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Sorry for the length here. Here are important things I wish I’d known about my driving record.
In January 2016, I attended & passed Roehl Transport's Get Your CDL training program in Appleton, WI. Started driving solo in February 2016 & just completed 13 months/100,000 miles driving National fleet, with always on time performance. Like many a rookie, I've had my fair share of non-injury, minor fender benders.
I was recently dismissed from Roehl Transport, probably due to these minor fender benders, though I still haven't received any written details of reasons for my termination. As a rookie driver, there was never much real communication concerning my driving record & no detailed training to help me improve. I understand Roehl’s business position of trying to save money & their reputation of safety, but this was handled very poorly.
But, I am responsible to learn from my mistakes, so I’m just trying to learn more & move ahead. In rookie hindsight, I should have requested a printed report copy of each minor fender bender. I also should have requested copies of my two DSE driver safety evaluations. Studying these reports & evaluations can help me become a better driver. Since my dismissal, I've been stumbling around trying find out what's on my driving record & here is what I learned.
Roehl human resources have not answered my calls seeking these records, so sadly a dead end there. State of Minnesota DMV driver records requests are only printed & take several weeks to receive, cost $11. DO NOT USE any of the background check websites. They are a rip-off that can cost anywhere from $20 to $50 with little up to date information.
Finally, I requested & received my PSP (Pre-employment Screening Program) report from the FMCSA website. Searching the site for “PSP report”, I found & received my downloaded report during that online inquiry, very efficient. I even called my FMCSA regional field office help number to understand what I was seeing. Unknown to rookie me, this report showed 2 instances I had unintentionally driven by a scale, even though we had Pre-pass in the cab. Would have been nice to learn where these were. Good thing to know.
Then I learned about the DAC report through the link on Trucking Truth.com. Used by 90% of trucking companies, this free comprehensive report includes everything an employer wants to know about me. It includes information from my State MVR Motor Vehicle Report, Transportation Employment History, Background Checks, Drug & Alcohol Violation information, Reportable & Non-reportable DOT Accident/Incident History Summary & CDL Drivers Medical Certification information. The DAC report has given me all the information I need to be open & honest about my rookie mistakes. This helps me to prepare before applying for CDL driver work again.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices