There’s a report that company’s use to gain insight into a drivers safety record. It’s one that most drivers don’t EVEN realize exists. The FMCSA has given carriers the ability to look at a driver’s safety record for the previous 3-year history at the click of a button. If you think it is not important, think again.
What is PSP?
A PSP report, or a Pre-Employment Screening Program Report, is a report of a CDL-A drivers interaction with law enforcement as reported by the States to FMCSA. Your permission is required to run this report and a signed release is usually built into every carrier’s online application, allowing a recruiter to run a report with only $10 and your CDL information.
There are three sections of a PSP report, and we are going to break down each section for you so that you can understand what information recruiters are obtaining about your safety record.
Crash Activity
The crash activity on a PSP shows the details of any DOT recordable accident in the last 3 years, which is defined by:
- A vehicle towed from the scene
- A fatality occurred
- A person was injured and required immediate medical attention away from the scene
When applying for a job, it is very important for drivers to include the details of a recordable accident on the application. An expert tip, have a copy of an accident or police report ready to share with your recruiter. This helps recruiters make hiring decisions, especially if you were not at fault.
Inspection Activity
Any DOT inspection in the last 3 years is included on a driver’s PSP. An important thing to remember is that when recruiters are reviewing applications, we are looking at the PSP for moving violations and for patterns of violations. Most carriers, including Dynamic Transit, do not accept drivers that have more than 3 moving violations on the PSP and MVR combined.
Even if you have zero moving violations (i.e. speeding, failure to obey, following too close) on your driving record (MVR/PSP), recruiters also take note of all violations on the PSP. A good rule of thumb is that if you have more than 2 inspections with violations in your 3-year history and you are applying to a company, be sure to know the details of the violations so that you may accurately answer interview questions.
Violation Summary
In this section you can get an overall view of the types of violations. This is where patterns of violations really show through. Repeat equipment violations can indicate incomplete Pre-Trip inspections, Logbook violations can show disregard for public safety and poor Time Management skills.
How does the PSP affect you in finding a Job?
Dynamic Transit’s hiring team makes decisions to hire or not hire drivers every day based on PSP reports. The most common mistake drivers make is not knowing that the PSP exists. Drivers may leave a company off the application, but the company shows up on the PSP (that can be seen as falsifying an application). Another common mistake is not including the moving violations on your application.
About our TA Topics Series
Dynamic Transit Company is owned by drivers and half our recruiting staff are former drivers. Our goal as a driver advocate company is to share everything there is to know about finding a trucking job, new regulations, and other relevant information that may help you land the driving job you have been looking for. You can stay up to date by subscribing to our Blog and YouTube channel as well as following us on Facebook and Instagram.