As a commercial bus or truck driver, it’s in your best interest to know the information contained in your safety record. Monitoring your own performance allows you to be proactive with correcting issues before the Compliance, Safety & Accountability (CSA) division of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) selects you for intervention. We’ll explain how you can obtain a copy of your safety data below.
Request a copy of your driving record as part of Pre-Employment Screening
The FMCSA offers a resource to drivers called the PSP Record (Pre-Employment Screening Program) that provides data from the last three years of roadside inspections stored in the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) database. It also includes five years of crash data. You must pay a $10 fee to request these records and provide the following information:
- Your current driver’s license number and any other driver’s license number you have held in the last five years. You should also indicate which states you lived in for each driver’s license number.
- Your current email address.
- A credit card number or PayPal funds transfer to cover the $10 fee.
After you request your PSP Record online, it takes approximately two minutes for the system to complete your request for safety data. You will need a PDF reader to read the results. The website will automatically issue a payment receipt that you should save for tax purposes.
Obtain driving data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
If you don’t want to use the above system, you can request your own driving safety data through an FOIA request. You will need to complete a privacy waiver form as well. The request must be in writing and include the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Telephone number
- A statement to indicate you are making the request under FOIA
- A description of the documents you wish to obtain
After completing your paperwork, you can mail, fax, or email your request.
If you disagree with information in your report
The FMCSA operates a program called DataQs that allows you to track information it obtains about you and to request a review if you feel it is incorrect. After the agency receives your request, it forwards your Request for Data Review to the appropriate parties for resolution. Some things you might question as a commercial driver include the reliability of roadside inspections and crash reports. The FMCSA encourages drivers to take advantage of this program to ensure it maintains data integrity. The DataQs program is also available to the public to express concerns about a specific driver or company. Information about the resolution of review requests is public.
Maintaining proper insurance is part of your responsibility as a commercial driver
The FMCSA also monitors drivers for adherence to mandatory insurance requirements. Along with auto liability coverage, you may also need additional coverages such as hazardous materials to meet its standards. Additionally, it’s a good idea to review various types of insurance to determine if a specific policy would be useful in your situation.
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