Truck Driver Background Checks
A complete, DOT-compliant truck driver background check in one package — criminal history, MVR, CDLIS, PSP, employment verification, and DOT drug testing. Get your drivers qualified and on the road faster.
Drivers with a completed background check and drug test start work sooner — carriers can’t put you behind the wheel until screening is done. Get it out of the way now and be ready for day one.
What the DOT Requires Before a Driver Gets Behind the Wheel
A truck driver background check is not optional: federal regulations (49 CFR Part 391 and Part 382) require motor carriers to complete specific screening steps for every CDL driver they hire — and keep proof in a Driver Qualification File. Here’s what’s required and how we cover it:
Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) — required
You must obtain the driver’s driving record from every state where they held a license in the past 3 years (49 CFR 391.23). Our MVR check pulls the driving history, violations, and license status. State DMV fees apply in addition to our price.
CDLIS — Commercial Driver’s License verification
The Commercial Driver’s License Information System confirms the driver’s CDL is valid and reveals any other licenses held in other states — required to catch drivers with a suspended license hiding behind a second one.
Previous DOT Employment Verification — required
Carriers must investigate the driver’s safety performance history with DOT-regulated employers from the previous 3 years (49 CFR 391.23). We contact prior employers and document accidents and drug & alcohol testing history for your file.
PSP — Pre-Employment Screening Program (FMCSA)
The FMCSA’s PSP report shows 5 years of crash history and 3 years of roadside inspection data. Not mandatory, but strongly recommended — carriers using PSP hire safer drivers and it’s an industry-standard defense against negligent-hiring claims.
Pre-Employment DOT Drug Test — required
A negative DOT drug test result is required before a driver may perform any safety-sensitive function (49 CFR Part 382). Our package includes a DOT urine test collected at any LabCorp location nationwide.
Criminal Background Check — best practice
Not a DOT mandate, but essential for insurance, shipper requirements, and negligent-hiring protection. We run an SSN trace with address history and alias search, unlimited county criminal searches everywhere the driver has lived, plus nationwide criminal, sex offender, OFAC, OIG, GSA, and SAM databases.
Audit-Ready Documentation, Automatically
Every search produces the documentation FMCSA auditors expect to see in your Driver Qualification File. Whether it’s a New Entrant Safety Audit, a compliance review, or an insurance or shipper audit, your screening records are organized in one portal — dated, complete, and ready to produce on request. No chasing paperwork across DMVs, labs, and past employers when the auditor is already in the room.
How It Works — Start Screening the Same Day
Get started below
Send us your company name and contact information — it takes about two minutes.
Account activation — usually under an hour
We activate your account within 1 business day, and usually in less than an hour during business hours.
Run checks yourself, on your schedule
Once your account is active, you order everything directly through our online portal — run the background check and order the DOT drug test yourself, no phone calls or paperwork. The drug test registration generates a LabCorp collection pass the applicant can take to any location nationwide.
Hit the road sooner
Results flow back into your portal as they complete. A driver whose screening is already done can be qualified and dispatched the moment the job is offered — instead of waiting on checks after the fact.
Truck Driver Background Check Packages & Pricing
Package prices cover the searches listed. State DMV fees, court access fees, third-party verification database costs, and out-of-network collection site fees are billed at cost on top of the package price. Your exact total is shown in the ordering portal when you place the order yourself.
Standard Background Check
- SSN Trace / Address History / Alias Search
- Unlimited County Criminal Search
- Nationwide Criminal / Sex Offender / OFAC / OIG / GSA / SAM
Background + MVR + Drug Test
- Everything in Standard
- Motor Vehicle History Check
- LabCorp DOT Urine Test
DOT Compliant Package
- SSN Trace / Address History / Alias Search
- Unlimited County Criminal Search
- Nationwide Criminal / Sex Offender / OFAC / OIG / GSA / SAM
- Motor Vehicle History Check
- CDLIS
- DOT Verification of Employment
- FMCSA Verification (PSP Driver History)
- LabCorp DOT Urine Test
A La Carte Searches
| Search | Price |
|---|---|
| FMCSA Verification (PSP Driver History) | $15.00 |
| CDLIS | $10.00 |
| DOT Employment Verification (VOE) | $12.00 |
| MVR – Driving History (plus mandated state fees) | $5.00 |
| DOT Urine Test (LabCorp) | $43.00 |
| eScreen DOT Drug Test | $52.00 |
| eScreen DOT Urine Test | $56.00 |
| eScreen DOT Physical | $110.00 |
| I-9 Verification | $5.00 |
| Continuous Criminal Record Monitoring | $3.00 / month |
Get Started Today
Email us at maggie@surecheckbackground.com with your company name and contact information and we’ll activate your client account within 1 business day — usually in under an hour. From there you run each truck driver background check and order DOT drug tests yourself through the online portal, whenever you need them — no phone calls or paperwork.
Truck Driver Background Check FAQs
What is included in a DOT background check?
A DOT-compliant driver file includes a motor vehicle record (MVR), CDLIS for commercial license history, DOT verification of employment covering the past three years, an FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) report, a pre-employment DOT drug test, and an FMCSA Clearinghouse full query. A criminal search is not federally required, but most carriers add one. See how each of these searches works.
How far back does a DOT background check go?
It depends on the search. Safety performance history covers the previous three years of DOT-regulated employment. A PSP report covers five years of DOT-reportable crashes and three years of roadside inspections. MVR lookback is set by each state and commonly runs three to seven years. Criminal reporting follows FCRA limits and applicable state law.
What is the difference between a PSP report and an MVR?
An MVR comes from the state DMV and shows license status, endorsements, suspensions, and traffic violations. A PSP report comes from FMCSA and shows federal roadside inspection results and DOT-reportable crashes. They pull from different systems, and neither one replaces the other, which is why DOT packages include both.
Do I have to run an FMCSA Clearinghouse query before hiring a driver?
Yes. Under 49 CFR 382.701 you must run a full query before a driver performs any safety-sensitive function, plus a limited query at least once a year for every current driver. A full query releases results only after the driver gives consent inside their own Clearinghouse account.
How far back do I have to verify a driver’s previous employment?
49 CFR 391.23 requires you to investigate the driver’s safety performance history with every DOT-regulated employer from the previous three years. For drug and alcohol violations, that information now comes from the Clearinghouse rather than from written requests to past employers.
What disqualifies a driver from passing a DOT background check?
The clearest bars are a suspended or revoked CDL, an unresolved violation in the Clearinghouse, a positive or refused DOT test without a completed return-to-duty process, and no valid medical certificate. Offenses listed in 49 CFR 383.51, such as a DUI in a commercial vehicle, carry their own disqualification periods. Criminal history is evaluated case by case under the FCRA and state law.
How long does a truck driver background check take?
Most searches come back within 8 hours. MVR, CDLIS, and Clearinghouse results usually return the same day. DOT verification of employment depends on how quickly previous employers respond, so it is normally the slowest part of the file. New accounts are usually approved within an hour.
Do non-CDL drivers need a DOT background check?
Often yes. Drivers operating vehicles rated at 10,001 pounds or more in interstate commerce fall under the Part 391 driver qualification rules, which means an MVR and a safety performance history investigation even without a CDL. Part 382 drug and alcohol testing and Clearinghouse queries apply to CDL drivers. See our full transportation screening options.
Prices are per applicant name searched and may incur additional fees, including court access fees, employment/education third-party database costs, out-of-network drug testing fees, and state Department of Motor Vehicle fees. All background checks are performed in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); employers must obtain the applicant’s written consent before ordering. Sure Check Background Screening is a consumer reporting agency.