2. Driver Safety Policies   

A Company Auto Safety Program should have written guidelines addressing:
• Personal use of company autos
• Use of personal autos on company business
• Operator qualifications
• Zero tolerance for alcohol and drug use
• Obeying all traffic laws 
• Accident reporting procedures
• Determining accident preventability
• Preventive maintenance
• Use of seat belts
• Securing cargo
• Prohibiting non-business passengers

Sample Company Vehicle Agreement

3. Driver Training  

• Review your safety policies, rules, and procedures with all of your drivers.
• Have all of your drivers sign a document acknowledging that they understand and agree to
  abide by the policies, and that they fully understand the penalties for failure to follow the
  policies.
• Have your supervisors complete a Road Test with the driver in the vehicle they will be
  operating. This should include an evaluation of their general skills and the operation and
  handling issues specific to the vehicle that will be assigned to them.
• Include the completion of a defensive driving courses (DDC) as part of your driver training
  program for new hires and driver rehabilitation situations involving current employees. 

4. Vehicle Inspection   

• Pre-trip inspections are the most effective way to identify the obvious hazards of the vehicle
• Federal, state, or local laws may require these pre-trip inspections, which should be
  documented
• Use the inspection to identify needed repairs as well as to confirm any repairs that have
  been recently completed 

Vehicle Safety Inspection Form

5. Auto Maintenance   

You should maintain thorough records on each vehicle in your fleet. A file should be kept to store the documentation. At a minimum, the file should contain the following:
• Date of service
• Identification of the vehicle (VIN#)
• Current vehicle odometer mileage
• What service was performed
• Who did the work
• What parts were replaced
• What company manufactured the part(s)
• Recommendations made by the mechanic

Vehicle Maintenance Inspection Form

6. Accident Investigation, Reporting, and Review   

• To ensure that accidents are reported promptly and accurately, all of your drivers should be
  taught how to respond when they are involved in an accident 
• The objective of an accident review is to prevent the situation from reoccurring
• Properly conducted accident investigations will provide you with information identifying:
      - Defective equipment
      - Inadequate maintenance 
      - Adverse road conditions 
      - Poor driving habits 
      - Driver training needs 
      - Disciplinary action needed
      - Improperly secured cargo 
      - Accident trends within your company
• Addressing each situation in a timely manner is important to the success of a company’s
  Auto Safety Program
• A copy of the Driver’s Accident Reporting Kit should be in the glove compartment of every
  company owned or operated vehicle. All drivers should be trained in its use

Motor Vehicle Records 

There are over 190 million licensed drivers and over 217 million registered vehicles in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Vehicular accidents kill between 40,000 to 50,000 people in the U.S. each year and cost us over $150 billion annually. Recent studies indicate:

Motor vehicle crashes have increased throughout the past decade. On average, one motor vehicle crash occurs every five seconds, a person is injured in these crashes every 10 seconds, and someone is killed every 13 minutes. Studies show that 45 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes had previous driving record convictions. 

Driving a vehicle is considered a privilege by most law enforcement agencies. Not everyone is qualified to drive your company vehicle. In fact, there are some individuals you should not allow to drive any vehicle, even their own, while conducting business for your company. Your assets and reputation are at risk. 

Motor vehicle crashes can be prevented using multiple risk control methods including:
• Proper driver hiring and evaluation
• Driver training
• Development of driver and vehicle safety policies and rules 
• Vehicle inspection 
• Regular vehicle maintenance
• Accident investigation program 

One of the most important and critical methods in preventing accidents is proper driver hiring and evaluation - “putting the right person behind the wheel.” Checking motor vehicle records (MVRs) is an extremely important step in the driver screening process. Don’t take the risk of having a person with a poor driving record operate an expensive piece of company equipment, such as a $40,000 company vehicle. 

All businesses need to check MVRs on an annual basis. Leaving this task to your insurance agent or broker allows them to control your driver hiring and selection decisions. Your company should establish a process for review and evaluation of driver motor vehicle records.

The state agencies and third-party network providers listed on the pages at the end of this section may be used to help you order driver motor vehicle records for your employees and applicants.

Evaluating Motor Vehicle Records 

While judgment must be used when reviewing the records, it is valuable to establish some minimum expectations. Utilize your experience and the advice of your agent to develop criteria to identify qualified operators. Ultimately you are accountable for ensuring that anyone who operates a vehicle for you is properly licensed and qualified to operate the vehicle. You must also do everything reasonably possible to be sure they will be safe drivers. Whether you order your own MVRs or your agent orders them for you, always keep a copy for your files. 

Drivers Under Suspension

A suspension of a driver's license may occur for a number of reasons. The driver should have the suspension eliminated whenever possible to assure his/her driver status. 

When to order MVRs 

• All drivers prior to job assignment 
• After a driver is involved in an accident
• Annually for all drivers

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) 

This is an overview of the Federal regulations concerning the commercial driver’s license (CDL) standards applicable to drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMV). For further details, you are encouraged to refer to Title 49 CFR Part 383 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) and your state’s version of the Department of Transportation for state specific details.

Class of License

A - a combination vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more
B - a heavy straight vehicle rated at 26,001 or more and any trailer plus its load not to exceed
     10,000 pounds
C - a small vehicle designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) or a
     vehicle used for transporting hazardous material

Additional endorsements to the CDL required for operation of:
• Double and triple trailers
• Passenger vehicles
• Tanker vehicles
• Hazardous materials

Here are some of the exceptions concerning drivers who are not required to maintain a CDL:
• Certain military drivers
• Farmers
• Firefighters
• Emergency response vehicle drivers
• Drivers removing snow and ice

Driver Responsibility

• No one who operates a CMV shall at any time have more than one driver’s license
• To be eligible for a CDL the driver must pass a written test and a performance test
• If convicted of a traffic violation (other than a parking violation), the driver must notify their
  employer and the state from which the license was issued within 30 days after the
  conviction.
• Drivers can only drive a vehicle with air brakes if they have passed the air brake component
  of the skills test and the knowledge test.

General Driver Requirements

• Must be at least 21 years old
• Must be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the
  general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to
  respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.
• Submit to and pass a drug test: 
       - Pre-employment
       - Post-accident testing
       - Random testing
       - Reasonable suspicion testing
       - Return to duty testing
       - Follow-up testing
• No more than 10 hours of driving following 8 consecutive hours off duty
• No more than 60 hours of duty during any 7 consecutive days
• No more than 70 hours on duty during any 8 consecutive days if the employing motor
  carrier operates CMV everyday of the week
• There are more specific regulations in Part 391 subpart B

Driver Discipline

• There are penalties for certain violations, including but not limited to the following:
       - Driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance(s)
       - Leaving the scene of an accident
       - Refusing to submit to an alcohol test as required by any state or jurisdiction
       - Commission of a felony involving the use of CMV
       - Operating a CMV while driver’s CDL is revoked, suspended or cancelled or driving
         during a period of disqualification.
• Penalties for traffic violations are progressive up to and including a lifetime suspension of
  the license. Refer to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Part 383, Subpart D for
  more specific information.
• Drivers and Employers who violate the rules may be subject to civil or criminal penalties.
  (49 U.S.C. 521(b))

Employer Responsibility

• The company is required to do at least an annual inquiry and review of each operator’s
  driving record.

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Network Provider List 

The following companies provide access to driver license history information. Please contact the company of your choice from this list for more information.

Driver motor vehicle records can also be ordered from government agencies. Please refer to the state list on the following pages to order driving records, depending on the state of the driver’s license(s) you are checking. Most states require written requests for driver motor vehicle records. The request should include full name, date of birth and driver’s license number or social security number. Some states also require a notarized authorization or consent form signed by the driver for release of driving history information. Those states are indicated by an asterisk (**). States with websites shown have online ordering capabilities. 

The ordering of MVRs is subject to the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, including notice and disclosure requirements. You should consult your legal counsel for further information regarding the ordering of MVRs.

For more information on commercial auto risk control techniques, check with your FCCI Loss Control Representative and look in the Commercial Auto section of the Blueprint for Safety  Online Risk Control Manual.

This manual is advisory only and does not attempt to list all potential hazards or identify all possible remedial actions. You are responsible for the safety of your premises, operations, and products. FCCI Insurance Group and its affiliates and subsidiaries shall not be liable for any loss, injury, death, damage, or expense arising from the use of this manual.