Does your company run Motor Vehicle Record (“MVR”) reports on your employees? MVR reports are an integral part of the pre-hire screening process for roles that require driving as a component of the position. Continue reading below to learn about MVR reports, the information revealed in an MVR report, and how it can benefit an employer as part of their screening process.
What is an MVR report?
An MVR report, also known as a driving history check, stands for “Motor Vehicle Record”. An MVR report gathers information from a candidate’s driving history. This may include a variety of information such as:
- Driver’s License Information (license number, expiration date, full name, date of birth, etc.)
- Moving Violations
- Violations
- License Status
- Tickets
- Accidents
- Applicant Order Entry
- Unpaid Parking Tickets
- Criminal Convictions
- Suspensions
- Vehicular Crimes
- Traffic Violations
An MVR report is important for employers hiring an employee whose job duties involve operating a vehicle. Since an MVR report is also considered a consumer report if a consumer reporting agency provides the information, employers who run MVR reports must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Why Employers Should Consider MVR Monitoring
Employers regulated by the transportation industry are already required by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to run MVR checks on their employees. But what if your company isn’t in the transportation industry, but still requires certain or all employees to operate a vehicle as part of their job? If so, it’s important to check your candidate’s driving history and ensure your company, employees, and other individuals will not be put at risk in the future.
In fatal large truck crashes in 2019, 75.4% of the drivers had a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL); 19.8% had no CDL; and many of the rest had a CDL that was expired, revoked, or suspended.
There are certain risks and liabilities that employers should strive to avoid, such as situations where an employee is involved in an accident on the job. An MVR report can prevent these risks by providing an employer with crucial insight during the hiring process, to see if a candidate is qualified to meet all safety regulations and precautions while driving.
For many employers, one MVR report is not enough. Continuous MVR reports, which monitor your employees’ driving records on an ongoing basis, have become the new safety standard to keep customers safe, as well as reduce risk and liability.
How Far Back Does an MVR Report Go Back?
There is no national database for searching driving records, which means the history of information on an MVR report differs from state to state. Certain states keep records for 3 years, while other states can keep records for up to 10 years. Employers are encouraged to depend more on recent driving history to make an informed hiring decision, instead of looking at offenses from five to nine years ago.
In addition, the information employers may choose to look at can differ depending on the position. In an instance where the employer is looking to fill a driving-related position, such as a truck driver, the employer will likely look at the candidate’s MVR report extensively. This is because hiring a candidate with a poor driving record, or red flags such as license suspensions, can result in serious consequences for the company. For positions that may not involve driving for the whole job position, employers may choose to exclude specific information in an MVR report, such as parking tickets or moving violations.
Protect Your Company with Accurate’s Driving History Checks
With Accurate, your company can seamlessly view and manage your MVRs with our centralized process. Our pre-employment driving records help you keep safe drivers on the road. Using online MVR reports, we’re able to provide our clients with driving history information in a timely manner. Our in-house compliance team monitors changes in your industry and jurisdiction, building in measures to help protect your organization from accidental violations. Our driving history services and processes help you stay up to date with the latest Department of Transportation (DOT) driver history regulations.
With Accurate, you can feel confident that the drivers you hire are skilled and have a good driving reputation. Contact one of our team members to learn more today.
