Best Practices for Truck Driver Files Across Canada

Essential Tips for Managing Truck Driver Files - CVOR & NSC Podcast

In this CVOR and National Safety Code Podcast episode, host Chris Harris, Safety Dawg, provides a comprehensive guide to managing truck driver files. Covering crucial topics such as application forms, references, and road tests, 

Chris shares best practices and essential tips tailored for Canadian safety managers and small trucking companies. Learn about the importance of thorough application completion, residential and employment history, and reference checks to maintain compliance and ensure safety. 

Stay tuned for more in-depth discussions in future episodes. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and send in your questions!

00:00 Introduction to CVOR and NSC Podcast

00:23 Understanding Truck Driver Files

01:35 Application Form Best Practices

03:16 Importance of Complete and Accurate Information

06:32 Reference Checks and Due Diligence

06:52 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser

Transcript

Chris Harris, Safety Dawg 1: 0:01

And welcome to another episode of the National Safety Code and CVOR, or properly called CVOR and NSC podcast. How you doing? My name is Chris Harris, and this is your CVOR podcast, National Safety Code, if you're in any other province. Again, this podcast is for Canadians, and today we are talking about the truck driver file. Now, please remember that I'm talking about truck driver files in a general way because each province, as I've already stated, has its own. In previous podcast episodes, have their own Highway Traffic Act, every province and every territory. So, when I tried to put this together to make it easy for safety managers and small trucking companies to have truck driver files. When I did my research, it's slightly different right across the country. So please understand that these are largely best practices and you really need to refer to your own Highway Traffic Act in your province or territory. So we're going to be talking about truck driver files. And the best part about the errors is I'm also going to point out how to fix them. All right. So with that, let's get on with it. Uh, application. There are three main areas that we're just going to touch on briefly today, trying to keep these episodes short and sweet for you. The application, the app, the references and the road test. Okay. So on the application form, what you often Don't see is 10 year and 4 year. What the hell am I talking about? If you cross border into the United States, you need to go back 10 years of commercial driver history. If you're going into the States, uh, you've got to go back a minimum of 3 years. And if that applicant has more commercial driving experience than three years, you've got to go back the whole experience level or, or to ten, whichever is greater. So it's three years or to ten, whichever is greater. Uh, the four year, when I was doing the research for, uh, this project, there was one province That wants you to go back four years. Most of the provinces said on the application forms, go back for three. However, there was one that said four, so I've just generally made it, it's a best practice. Go back four years. Uh, three years of residential history. So you want to be able to ask your drivers, the applicants, how long they've lived at their current address. And if they don't go back at least three years, it is definitely a best practice to go back that three year history. Um, the next one is please, on the application form, no blanks. Just no blanks. If there is a section on the application form, it is there for a reason. And make sure the driver completes it, um, because, as I say, it is there for a reason. If it's a cross border company, it is probably there because the U. S. legislated it. If you are here in Canada, then it's probably a best practice. For example, if you look at this section, a collision record for the past five years. Thanks. And if you got more than three collisions in the past five years, I got to think you shouldn't be hiring this driver. But, regardless, I don't want you to leave it like that. If the driver doesn't complete this section, when you question them, when you find out that they did have a collision, the driver might respond like, Oh, yeah, yeah. I didn't complete that section because I wanted to ask you if this accident, if I should put it down or not. Meanwhile, and this is a true story, I interviewed a driver applicant. He looked really good. And when I did the references, One of my reference calls said, Oh, uh, did he tell you about the police car he hit at the side of the road? Funny enough, I look at the collision section and it was blank. And I said to the, uh, the reference giver, No, he didn't. He must have forgot to tell me about that. He said, Yeah, it just happened a few weeks ago. Won't be on the motor vehicle record yet because it's so new. And he's suspended from our company at the moment. So you know where that's going. Now, that story illustrates two things. The need to do good reference checking, and the need to have all of the application form completed correctly. Um, and if, for example, They don't have anything. Get them to put none in that section. That way they're not lying. They're not going to tell you, Oh, I meant to ask you about that. They put none. And if you do find a collision, of course that is an error of omission. And that's a very serious offense. So do that. And on the application form, the next one is no signature. The driver needs to sign Because the paragraph just above this section says something to the effect of, Hey, I'm telling you the truth, and my signature down below means I'm telling you the truth. And if you catch me lying, you can fire me. That's a translation as to what that above paragraph says, but that's really what it does say. And you do want to do the references. You do want to do your due diligence in asking for that. All right. So on the references, again, do you have 10 years of reference? No, you need to go back for a best practice, a minimum of three years Please go back three years. Verify their employment for the past three or more years. And that's it for today. Trying to keep these things short. We're going to handle the road test in a very Sorry, we're going to handle the road test one, because it's going to be a longer segment, uh, in another episode of the CVOR National Safety Code Manage Your Safety Scores podcast. All right, Chris Harris, uh, that's it for this week. Please stay safe and email me. your questions. chris. cvr. ca. Uh, email me questions, comments, and don't forget to please like and subscribe to this podcast. Appreciate y'all so much. Chris Harris, Safety Dawg, I'm outta here.